


Scoobies in Neptune

by Buffyworldbuilder



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 06:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder
Summary: While Veronica is away for the summer, a few new people move to Neptune. Mac, Logan, Dick, Wallace and even Keith easily embrace the newcomers. When she returns, she will discover that maybe she wasn't quite ready to leave Neptune so soon as she does NOT like the new friends that have been inserted into her world. However, she isn't one to just let things happen.This story is set after BTVS season 4 and Veronica Mars season 3. It's beginning in the summer after Veronica has left for her summer internship with the FBI. I've altered some key things in the Buffyverse. Faith didn't go evil in season 3, but instead was killed long enough to activate a new slayer. Kennedy is called in her place and makes Sunnydale so unbearable that the gang decides to move away. Neptune is not too far, and Buffy, Willow, and Tara transfer to Hearst while Giles and Faith are guarding the hellmouth in Ohio. Season 4 of BTVS had some serious deviations as Spike isn't a part of the story, and Riley and Buffy were never a couple. This story will not be as plot driven as previous stories. I'm focusing more on the two worlds being thrown together and new connections, friendships, and loves developing. I am keeping my pairings as a surprise.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	1. A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> I first began writing fanfiction in 2010 due to my obsession with Veronica Mars fanfiction. Although it's not even my top ten favorite show, I LOVED the characters that Rob Thomas created, so I spent years writing several stories only for Veronica Mars. In fact, I've written 1,259,643 words that were solely about Veronica Mars. I haven’t yet posted them anywhere but FF.net. Then I grew bored and now almost exclusively write Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossovers. However, I've had this idea for a story percolating in the back of mind for a few years now. I've finally put it down on paper.
> 
> Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own either Veronica Mars or BTVS. None of the characters in this story are mine.

_*****Neptune*****_

Buffy looked at the small house her mom had bought in Neptune in satisfaction. The one-story dwelling was so much easier to unpack than their other place had been four years ago. The square footage wasn't that different from their old home in Sunnydale, but she did have a bit more space in her room. The third bedroom, however, was on the small size. Happily, they each had their own bathroom, so Buffy had no reason to complain. The large formal dining room that their Sunnydale home had boasted was absent from this house, but it had a large kitchen that their table could fit into as long as they kept the extension out of it. Of course, the main thing the house had was a large basement that she could use to keep up her training.

Her phone rang. "Hey, Will. Are you and Tara unpacked?" she asked. "I'm finally done."

"Not even close," Willow said. "Tara and I found this amazing coffee house by campus called Java Hut, so we're totally distracted. Things are so bright and shiny here, Buffy, so we're not sure what to do."

Buffy laughed. "I know what you mean. Just being away from the hellmouth makes me feel warm and happy," she said.

"Exactly!" Willow agreed. "The reason I called was to tell you that Xander told me that that he got called in for the interview for the maintenance team at Hearst. It's in five days."

"That's great!" Buffy said. "I can't imagine not having our Xander-shaped friend around. What about Anya?"

"Anya doesn't want to leave the hellmouth or her job. Giles made her a partner in the Magic Box before he and Faith left for Ohio," Willow said.

"Doesn't she know she will have to deal with Kennedy if she sticks around?" Buffy asked.

"Well, you know Anya. She'll just tell Kennedy exactly how she feels in that special manner of hers," Willow said in amusement. "Xander did say she threatened to get a vengeance demon friend of hers to hex Kennedy if she tried ordering her around again."

When Kennedy's bullying ways had made Tara cry a month before, a big fight had broken out. Buffy had already planned to relocate shortly after Faith had died and been brought back, thus activating Kennedy the Bitch Buffy’s senior year.

"We can all learn from Anya," Buffy said. Of course, Buffy was action girl. Actions speak louder than words, and her leaving town said all she needed to say.

"So are we going to the beach this evening?" Willow asked.

"Most definitely," Buffy said. She said goodbye after planning where to meet up and then decided to go shopping for a new swimsuit.

She took a leisure stroll and thought about all the changes that had occurred the past year. After her second month in Sunnydale, Faith had been nearly drained by Mr. Trick. Buffy had thrown Faith over her shoulder and rushed to the hospital, but Faith had flatlined almost immediately. Luckily, they managed to revive and transfuse her. At her mother's insistence, Faith had spent a week recovering at their house. The experience had bonded the two slayers like nothing had before. Previously, Giles had allowed Faith to stay in his spare room, and Buffy had been really jealous of Faith. An only child, sharing didn't come easy to Buffy.

However, Kennedy, the new sixteen-year old slayer, coming to town had united the two slayers even more. She was such a stuck-up bitch that the two older slayers just could not work with her. Luckily, Kennedy showed up after graduation and their defeat of the Mayor, so the bond between Buffy and Faith was solid. For the first time ever, there were three active slayers. Faith and Kennedy had come to blows three times before Giles and Wesley decided that the three of them needed to be spread out across the country. Buffy asked to be allowed to ease out of slaying if Kennedy survived her first year on the hellmouth, so Wesley and Giles had flipped a coin to see who'd get Faith.

Faith and Giles left right after Christmas at the beginning of the new year. That meant that Faith stayed in Sunnydale long enough to seduce Buffy's psychology TA, Riley and found out he was hiding a very big secret. The military was playing on the hellmouth, and she and Buffy knew it was not a good thing. When Faith discovered they'd chipped a newly returned to town Spike, she'd been pissed—equating it with tying up a dog and leaving it to starve to death. She was going to put him out of his misery and stake him, but Buffy decided sending him to Los Angeles for Angel to deal with was a better option.

A new town was definitely the right way to go for her and her friends.

She was hoping that the new location would work some magic on her love life because Buffy was tired of being single. She'd had the one-night stand with Parker the previous fall and that was it. The very yummy Graham had asked her out, but after discovering his entire fraternity was a front, she couldn't trust him. Now she was ready to have fun or something real. Without the burden of the hellmouth weighing her down, she was free to be a normal college student.

Her mother had decided to leave the dangers of the hellmouth and move to Neptune with Buffy. Willow had been the one to mention Hearst to Buffy. The small liberal arts college was only an hour from Sunnydale, so Buffy could easily get there if Kennedy needed a hand. Willow and Tara had been very eager to leave with Buffy, joining her at Hearst.

Giles won Faith in the coin toss and moved to Ohio with her at the beginning of the year. Although Kennedy had arrived in town with her own Watcher, the woman had been too sensitive to the dark forces radiating from the hellmouth and had asked to be relocated. Her abandonment had worked to make Kennedy even more difficult. Faith, though, was loving being back in a state with real winter as the Boston native really loved the snow Ohio had.

Buffy missed Giles a lot. Although Wesley was better as a Watcher in his second year, she hated that Giles was so far away. Talking on the phone was not the same thing. She and her friends did go to Ohio for Spring Break, though. The hellmouth was much tamer than Sunnydale, but they slayed a few vamps while patrolling with Faith. Moving out of Sunnydale, she hoped would lessen the Giles-sized hole inside.

She glanced in the shop windows as she found her first outlet shop because Neptune had outlet shops scattered around town. The ones close to campus, though, seemed to cater to girls Buffy's age. Luckily, her new house was only five miles from campus. For Buffy, it was merely a nice walk. To have the time to do something so casual was heaven. Finally, she found a shop that looked promising and went in.

"Oh, this is cute!" she said as she grabbed a summer dress. She saw three more and went and tried them on. Her dad allowed her to use her emergency credit card for school clothes, so she didn't feel guilty when she decided to buy all four of them.

Then she went to the swimsuits. A murmuring voice caught her attention, and she looked up. A girl around her age and height was looking at swimsuits with a mulish expression on her face. The attractive brunette had blue tipped hair, which intrigued Buffy as no one back home put colors like that in her hair.

"I don't know why she expects me to waste my hard-earned money on stupid crap," the girl mumbled to herself.

"I take it you don't love clothes shopping?" Buffy asked, giving her a friendly smile.

"I'd rather have a root canal," the girl replied.

"I love shopping," Buffy said.

The girl looked Buffy over and smirked. "You _would_ love shopping," she said.

"I'm taking that as a compliment even though I feel like you didn't mean it as one," Buffy said, unoffended.

"Sorry," the girl said. "It's just you're wearing one of those cool summer outfits that makes a woman look sexy without effort. Your blonde and beautiful with the long, flowing hair. Are you an 09er?"

Buffy laughed, never having had someone call her beautiful as an insult before. "I don't think so. I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers. I just moved to town," Buffy said.

"Buffy?" the girl said with a smile. "Well, I think you'll fit right in with the 09ers. I'm Cindy Makenzie, but people call me Mac."

"Nice to meet you, Mac," Buffy said. "Do you attend Hearst?"

"I do," Mac said. "Computer science major."

"Oh, my best friend Willow is a computer whiz, too," Buffy said with a bright smile. "She's going to be going to Hearst, too. You might have her in some classes."

"Another girl in the computer science program?" Mac asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yep. If you're not doing anything later, we're going to the beach behind the campus dorms," Buffy said. "I can introduce you to her and her girlfriend Tara. They are both taking a summer class, so they got into the dorms early."

"Well, I'm leaving in the morning for my family's summer vacation," Mac said. "But I can drop by and meet your friends."

"Oh, so you're buying a new suit for the trip? That's nice. Mine's like two years old," Buffy said. "But in my old town, I seemed to go from one crisis to another and no real beach time."

Mac had to revise her initial impression of the blonde Barbie with the ridiculous name as she was way too friendly to be an 09er. Openly admitting to struggles was also not an 09er trait.

"Where's home?" Mac inquired.

"Well, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but when my parents split up almost five years ago, I moved to Sunnydale. It's about the size of Neptune but an hour from here," Buffy explained.

"The town with the weird outbreak of laryngitis?" Mac asked, intrigued.

Buffy was surprised she knew that. "Oh, well, yes. The town had a few weird and bad elements," she said.

"I'm not sure Neptune is an improvement," Mac warned. "The 09ers rule it, and there's oodles of corruption."

As no one could ever be more corrupt than the former Mayor of Sunnydale, who turned into a giant snake and ate students at Buffy's high school graduation, she wasn't worried. Of course, she said nothing about that. "What are 09ers?" Buffy asked, frowning. Mac kept saying it like Buffy should know, and she was starting to feel stupid.

"Neptune has two zip codes, 09 and 02. 09 is where the uber wealthy live like the Kanes," she said.

"I take it you're an 02er?" Buffy asked with a grin since she found this zip code division more than a bit silly.

"Yep. Class warfare is very real in this town," Mac said.

"I can't believe it's big enough for two zip codes," Buffy said. "Sunnydale has a USC campus and still only had one zip code."

"That's probably because it wasn't full of elitist snobs that got the city to alter the town charter and give a few neighborhoods their own zip code," Mac said.

"Well, we had a real gang problem in Sunnydale," Buffy said.

"We have that here, but they're not the worst thing," Mac said.

Buffy now had to wonder if Giles was right about Neptune not being hellmouthy. Then again, Los Angeles had no hellmouth, but it had a combination of evil people and dark elements.

The girls finally stopped gossiping and tried on some bathing suits. Buffy decided on a two piece and a cute one piece while Mac got a dark blue one piece, not much different than her old black one piece. She refused a red one that Buffy tried to talk her in to buying. Her reluctance reminded Buffy a lot of Willow, so Buffy was quick to like the girl with blue-tipped hair.

Buffy paid for her purchases, and Mac gave Buffy her cell phone number. Mac couldn't believe she didn't have a cell phone.

"Me and technology are unmixy things," Buffy said with a careless shrug. "Willow and Xander, my other best friend, have them, though. If I'm not home, I'm with them normally." Cell phones were superfluous in her line of work. Of course, fighting would be hell on one. Now that she was not really slaying, though, maybe she should get one.

At her confession, Mac gave her a look of horror. "You're a luddite?" she asked.

"Since I know what that word means, no," Buffy said, grinning. "Willow called Giles, our librarian, that once as he called her computer that infernal machine. I can use the computer if I have to, but Will's so much better at it."

"So why bother?" Mac asked in bemusement.

"I'm action girl. I'd rather be running or sparring or fencing," Buffy said.

"You're a jock?" Mac asked in surprise, forced again to reevaluate Buffy.

"I guess you could say that," Buffy said. "But I'm not really into team sports. I did do cheerleading in middle school and ninth grade, but I got bored with it. The cheerleaders at Sunnydale took it way too seriously," she said, thinking of Amy and her mom. Her mother had stolen Amy's body just to relive her glory years as a cheerleader.

"Hearst does have a track team and a fencing club you might check out," Mac said.

"Okay, I might," Buffy said. Not having monsters to slay was going to leave her with way too much energy. "I'm not really interested in competing, though. I just like things that are physical because I have way too much energy."

Mac grinned, deciding that she liked the girl with the totally airhead name. Clearly, she was no airhead. She might resemble another pixie blonde Mac knew, but Veronica channeled her boundless energy into doing a dozen tasks in twenty-four hours rather than exercise.

"I better head home and prove to my mom that I did buy a new swimsuit," Mac said with a sigh.

"See you later, I hope," Buffy as she walked out the door with Mac.

Mac assumed the woman would head to a car, so she walked toward her own. However, as she pulled out to the road, she noticed Buffy hoofing it, carrying her two bags. Frowning, Mac pointed her green beetle toward Buffy, pulling up alongside her. She rolled down her window and called out, "Buffy, do you need a ride?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I don't live far," Buffy said with an easy smile.

"What's your address?" Mac asked.

When Buffy rattled it off, Mac looked aghast. "That's five miles! You can't walk that far! Get in, and I'll give you a ride," she said.

"It's really no big deal," Buffy said, amused at Mac's look of horror.

"I insist," Mac said firmly. Buffy shrugged and got in the car.

"Well, thanks," she said. "I walked everywhere back home."

"Your friends don't drive?" Mack asked.

"Yes, Willow and Xander have cars," she said. "Sometimes, they'd pick me up. Mom dropped me off for high school, but I always walked home. Then I lived on campus my year at USC Sunnydale. I don't even notice the walking anymore." Five miles was nothing for a slayer.

"You don't have a license?" Mac asked.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "Mom says I'm too terrifying behind the wheel and refused to teach me after I dented her car that one time."

"They have professionals that can teach you, you know," Mac said.

"Yea, one day I suppose I'll get one of those," Buffy said with a grin.

Mac laughed and shook her head. "Maybe, this summer I can show you how to drive," she found herself offering. Normally, she'd never make an offer like that to a stranger, but the idea of a woman not being completely independent bothered her.

"My friends will tell you no to that," Buffy said, amused. "Xander and Giles both tried. Giles has taught me lots of things, but he said that the world was safer if I stayed a pedestrian." Of course, she knew it had more to do with her slayer reflexes than anything else.

Mac pulled into Buffy's driveway and looked at the modest sized home—definitely not an 09er. "I just live three blocks from here—well, my parents do. I'm home for the summer but dorming it in the fall," she shared. "I can't believe you walked so far."

"I told you I have lots of energy. It didn't seem that far," Buffy said. "I don't get tired like normal people."

"I so can't relate," Mac said dryly.

Buffy laughed. "It looks like my mom is home. Do you want to come in and meet her?" Buffy offered.

"Next time," Mac said. "If I'm going to have time to meet up with you and your friends later. I need to get home."

"Okay," Buffy said. "Thanks a bunch."

She got out of the car, waving to Mac.

Mac grove away, surprised that she made a friend so easily. It took her almost three years to make two friends in high school.

Of course, Mac had no idea how gifted Buffy was at seeing the best in a person and bringing it out for others to see.

As for Buffy, she skipped inside and happily shared with her mom all the details of her encounter with Mac and modeled each outfit.

Joyce happily listened and watched the small fashion show, so happy to see her daughter this way. It'd been years since she had seen Buffy so carefree and excited to be alive. The burdens of being a slayer were gone, and she was free to be young. For the first time in years, she was free to enjoy life to the fullest.

Joyce knew that moving to Neptune with Buffy was the right decision. Life was short, and Joyce didn't want to miss a moment with Buffy. She'd come too close to losing her daughter too many times.

"I think this move was a good decision," she said to Buffy.

"Absolutely!" Buffy agreed. "A fresh start for all of us."

Buffy believed Neptune would finally be the home Sunnydale never was.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_So what's your thoughts? Veronica will be in this story, but not until several chapters in. I hope you won't miss her too much, but when she returns, there will be fireworks. Reviews are the best. Thanks!_


	2. You Look Familiar

***** _A Few Hours Later*****_

Buffy wore her new two piece under her new sundress in case she wanted to swim. She grabbed two beach towels and two cold drinks and shoved them in the bag with a few stakes—old habits die hard.

"Mom, are you ready?" she asked. Her mother had agreed that a walk on the beach was a great way to end her evening.

"Are you sure you want me there?" Joyce asked. "I don't want to cramp your style."

"It's a big beach, Mom. Take a walk, bring a book, watch the sun set," Buffy suggested. "Your summer class starts tomorrow."

"I still can't believe you convinced me that I could teach art to adults," Joyce said.

"You have a graduate degree," Buffy said. "You've ran your own art gallery. They're lucky to have you as an adjunct."

Joyce smiled at her daughter. "Well, if any of your classmates complain about me to you, I don't want to know about it," she said.

"I might have to kick someone's ass if they do," Buffy said with a glint in her eye. Her mom got the job to help supplement their income while her new gallery took off. The cost of living in Neptune was a bit higher than Sunnydale—no hellmouth to drop property rates. Now that Buffy was an adult, her dad only paid for school tuition, so there wasn't any child support coming in either.

Joyce laughed. "Well, let's hope you won't have to," she said. "I'll come for a bit, but you can get Willow to drive you home, okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Sure," she said.

They drove to the beach because her mother wasn't going to walk places the way Buffy always chose to, and her mother got out the two beach chairs she brought. Buffy found them a good spot and put down her bag and then helped position the chairs.

"Let's take a walk while we wait for Willow and Tara," Buffy suggested.

The beach wasn't crowded as many students were gone for the summer. A few surfers were on the water.

"This is nice," Joyce remarked as they walked at a leisure pace. "I can't recall the last time we were at the beach."

"We went once in Sunnydale," Buffy said. "The I went once with the gang, but that's it."

"Well, we'll need to make more time," Joyce said as the peace of the water and waves seeped into her mind. A man with a dog was walking toward them.

They grinned as they watched the Pit Bull chase a seagull into the water. "That dog is having a blast," Buffy said as she watched in amusement.

As they got closer, the dog came out of the water and spotted Buffy. He then bounded toward her.

"Back Up, no!" the man called out. However, the dog still ran to Buffy, looking very happy to see her. He sniffed at her feet.

"Sorry," the man said as he approached. "He's mostly harmless."

Buffy reached down to pet him. "Mostly?" she asked.

"Well, he'd defend me or someone else he knew if we were in danger," the man said.

"I guess that's why you named him Back up," Buffy said with a grin.

The man gave a sheepish smile and didn't deny that.

"Maybe, we should get one of these," Joyce said thoughtfully. Owning a dog was a normal thing, and things felt really normal in Neptune.

"A dog? You want a dog now?" Buffy asked in surprise. "You told me a half a dozen times growing up we couldn't have a dog."

"That's because your Dad was allergic," Joyce said.

"You've been divorced for years, and we still don't have a dog," Buffy pointed out.

"You never asked again," Joyce said with a smug smile.

The man grinned, enjoying the parent-daughter interaction. "I'm Keith Mars," he said, holding out his hand to Joyce.

"Joyce Summers. This is my only child, Buffy," she introduced. "She's incorrigible."

"The best ones are. Nice to meet you both," he said with a friendly smile. "You've already met Back Up."

"So why did you name your dog Back Up?" Buffy asked.

"I got him for my daughter Veronica," he said. "She attracts trouble."

Joyce laughed. "So he's her Back up?" she asked, amused.

Keith grinned. "Exactly. Him and her taser," he said.

"Taser?" Joyce asked intrigued. "That's an idea."

Buffy frowned, not sure she liked the idea of her mom being armed with a weapon of any kind.

"Veronica's about the size of your daughter but talks like she's much bigger and stronger," he said. "I think Back Up might've thought Buffy was her for a minute."

"I thought I sensed some disappointment," Buffy said. Then the dog took off again to greet a surfer carrying a board out of the water.

"Looks like he sees someone else he knows," Joyce observed.

"Probably Logan. A friend of my daughter's. She's gone for the summer, and Back Up really misses her," Keith explained.

"Oh, there's my new friend," Buffy said, waving to get Mac's attention.

Keith grinned as he saw Mac approach. "It's a small world. That's Mac, my daughter's best friend," Keith said.

Mac stopped to speak to Logan, so Buffy waited with her mom and Keith.

Logan greeted Mac. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Good. Leaving tomorrow for the annual McKenzie family camping excursion," she said with a sigh.

"Sounds fun," Logan said.

"It totally does not," she said.

"At least you have family that wants to spend time with you," Logan reminded her.

Mac nodded. "True," she said. "And I love them a lot, but I am so not a camping girl."

Logan grinned. "Embrace the pain," he advised. He hated himself for asking, but he couldn't help it. "Have you heard from Veronica?" After his fight with Goya, she'd said little, but her eyes had spoken volumes. Instead of coming to him, however, she'd left town two weeks ago to do her FBI internship. The sting of that still hurt—Logan was a sucker for punishment.

"Yes, she's having fun," Mac said. She held up a finger to indicate one minute to Buffy, who was standing nearby talking to Keith Mars. "That's my new friend Buffy. She's new to town."

Logan looked. "She knows Keith?" he asked as he petted Back Up.

"I don't know. Let's go find out," Mac said as they moved toward the trio. "Hello."

"Glad you could make it," Buffy said.

"Logan, how are you?" Keith asked.

"Fine, sir," he said. "Mac told me Veronica's having fun at the FBI."

Keith nodded and glanced at Joyce. "My daughter wants to join the FBI. She caught two murderers before she graduated from high school," he boasted with a proud smile.

"That's impressive," Joyce said.

Mac saw no reason to alarm the newcomers by mentioning the campus rapists she'd also caught. "Logan, this is Buffy Summers. She's going to be attending Hearst as a transfer student."

Buffy eyed the very cute surfer with interest. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Same here," Logan said with a grin. He held out his hand. "What year are you?"

"Sophomore," she said.

"Same," Logan said.

"Yo, Logan! What are you doing?" a guy asked as he approached.

"What's it look like, Dick?" Logan asked.

"Don't mind Dick," Mac said. "He was aptly named."

Buffy grinned while Joyce tried not to. Keith shook his head and sighed. "Sadly, she's not wrong," he said.

"That's my best friend you're insulting," Logan said, unoffended.

"So?" Mac said with a grin. Logan shrugged, causing Buffy to laugh.

"I'm Joyce, Buffy's mom," Joyce said, giving Buffy a look of censor for her lapse in manners.

"Sorry," Buffy said. "Mac, that's my mom."

"I'm Mac. That's Logan Echolls and Dick Casablancas," Mac introduced.

When neither woman seemed to recognize the names, the two young men relaxed.

"Buffy and her friends are transfers from USC Sunnydale," Mac explained.

"More hot babes are always welcome," Dick said with a wink.

Buffy giggled, amused at the big lug.

"Joyce, I'm going to walk a little further if you want to join me," Keith asked.

Joyce looked at Buffy, who nodded. "Go, have fun," she encouraged.

Keith looked at the boys. "Do you boys think you can stay out of trouble while my daughter's out of town?" he asked them.

"What?" Logan asked with wide-eyed innocence. "I know no trouble. I'm pretty sure that the trouble left town for the summer."

Keith laughed. "Well, you might have a point," he said. "Come on, Back Up." The two adults strolled away with the dog racing ahead.

"So what's the Macster doing at the beach?" Dick asked.

"I met Buffy earlier today, and she said her best friend is a computer science major like me. I wanted to meet her before I go on vacation," Mac explained.

"That's her and Tara now," Buffy said, waving as she saw them approach.

Dick whistled. "Damn, a redhead and another blonde? That's awesome!" he said excitedly.

"Cool your jets, Romeo," Buffy said. "I'm afraid they have eyes only for each other."

Dick's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. "They're lesbians? Seriously? I've always wanted to befriend some lesbians," he said.

"Don't be an ass," Logan warned, giving his friend a look of warning.

Dick rolled his eyes but didn't say more as the two girls approached.

Buffy greeted her friends. "Willow, this is Mac, the girl I was telling you about. Mac, this is Willow and Tara," Buffy introduced.

Dick and Mac looked at Willow and then back at Logan. Logan had a look of shock on his face. "Is this a joke? What kind of game are you guys playing at?" Logan asked harshly.

Willow frowned and looked at Buffy for answers.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked, not appreciating the guy's tone.

"Logan, don't jump to conclusions," Mac said quickly.

The girl was wearing an outfit that his sister Trina would never wear. Her hair wasn't curled and was slightly longer than Trina's. However, there was no denying that Willow looked too much like his sister.

"Mac, your friend Logan better stop glaring at Willow before I break his nose," Buffy threatened, moving to stand in front of Willow. Tara looked frightened at the rising tension. Harsh angry words from a man reminded her too much of the family she'd left behind.

"Dude, does Trina have a sister you didn't know about?" Dick asked, stating what the three were thinking.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked. "Why are you guys staring? Why is he angry with me? I've never met you guys before."

"Logan has an adopted older sister named Trina who looks a lot like you," Mac explained.

"Like you didn't know that," Logan said with disdain.

Buffy gave him a hard shove. "You better watch your tone," she said, getting pissed.

Willow's eyes widened in concern for Buffy's anger—a pissed off slayer was nobody's friend.

"It's okay, Buffy. He's just in shock," Willow said. "I think I am, too."

"Willow, are you adopted?" Mac asked.

Willow shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she said. "My parents are Jewish child psychologists. Ira and Sheila Rosenberg. They never said I was adopted."

Mac winced, thinking of her own discovery that she had been switched at birth—her parents still didn't know she knew.

"Are you sure you're not?" Logan said. "You look way too much alike." He pulled out his phone and scrolled for a picture. He held it up.

The girls looked at the photo and understood his shock.

"That _does_ look like me!" Willow exclaimed in surprise.

"You might want to talk to your parents," Logan said.

Buffy and Tara exchanged a look—something wasn't right.

Logan looked from the girl to Buffy to Tara, trying to figure out what their angle was. "So you guys really don't know who I am?" Logan asked. "You have _no idea_ who I am?"

"Watch the accusing tone, bucko!" Buffy said, getting worked up again. It was just her luck that the hottest guy she meets was a total ass.

"I'm sorry," Logan said. "I just find it very surprising. My dad is Aaron Echolls, a Hollywood star."

"I recognize the name," Buffy said. She glanced at Willow and Tara, so they could explain why the name was familiar.

"He's a movie star," Tara said. "My mom was a big fan of his."

"That's all you know?" Logan asked when nothing else was said.

"We have lives, you know," Buffy said in annoyance. "We don't spend time watching the latest movies or keeping up with gossip." He, of course, had no idea how busy they were with other things.

"Do you live under a rock?" Dick asked surprised they were so clueless. "How could you not know why Logan's a bit suspicious?"

"Butt out, Dick," Mac said. "Not everyone lives in your 09er bubble. The real world has other things to focus on."

"My father was having an affair with my girlfriend when I was a sophomore in high school," Logan began. "He murdered her and went on trial after trying to kill my new girlfriend at the time, Veronica Mars. Keith save her life and captured him—he used to be the sheriff. Somehow, my dad was found not guilty. But you know nothing of any of that?"

"Willow, let's go," Tara said, not liking the anger radiating from the man, who looked stronger than her and Willow.

Dick frowned at Logan, nothing that Tara looked frightened. "Dude, calm down. You're scaring them," he said.

"I'm sorry," he said, not sounding contrite. "I just have a hard time believing they know nothing of this, and this girl looks exactly like my sister—my sister, the heiress."

"I don't know why I look like your sister, and I'm sorry your dad was a monster," Willow said, feeling a bit ill at the guy's words. "But I really don't keep up with gossip. I'm usually too busy with other things."

"Neither do I," Buffy said. "Sunnydale had its own set of issues. For example, there was an explosion during our high school graduation, killing our principal, the mayor, and several of our classmates. The year before that, my ex-boyfriend turned into a stalker and tried to kill all my friends, and he managed to kill Willow's favorite teacher and my mentor's girlfriend. I'm sorry, your life is of the major suckage, but you haven't cornered the market on bad luck. And if you don't stop looking at my best friend like she killed your puppy, you're gonna regret it."

"Dude, let's go eat," Dick said, not oblivious to the fact that these girls had undergone their own trials. Logan was out of line. "Everyone has a twin out there, right?"

"So they say," Mac said. Buffy's words intrigued her, and she felt a stronger sense of kinship with the girl, who now reminded her very strongly of Veronica, protecting someone weaker. "This is just a coincidence."

"There's no such thing," Logan said. He looked at Willow. "I'd be talking to your parents if I were you."

"Okay, I will," Willow said simply. He wasn't wrong. The resemblance was a bit too strong to be a coincidence. She glanced at her girlfriend. "Let's go."

"I'm sorry about this," Mac said. "I hope to see you again after my vacation."

"Sure," Willow said, giving her a small smile. She glanced at Buffy.

"I'll catch up," Buffy said. "I need to go talk to Mom."

"Just come to our room when you can," Willow said, turning to walk away.

"Sorry, Buffy," Mac said. "We just didn't expect your friend to look so much like Logan's sister."

"Well, I didn't expect your friend to be such an ass," Buffy said, glaring at Logan.

"You must not read the tabloids then," Dick said with a snicker.

"Nope, I don't," she said. "I've been too busy living." _And fighting to live. . ._

"Look, I'm sorry," Logan said. "It's just I had some guy several months ago pretend to be my half-brother, but he was a reporter trying to get close to me."

"Sucks to be you," Buffy said without much sympathy. "If you expect people to always be out to get you, you're always going to find the betrayal you're looking for. The next time you see Willow, you better be super nice, or I'll show you what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a girl."

Then she ran down to the beach to talk to her mom.

"You really know how to make friends, don't you?" Mac said, shaking her head in disgust. "I bet now Willow won't want to be friends with me."

"Sorry," Logan said with a sigh. "I'm suspicious of newcomers. What can I say?"

"Buffy may look like an 09er, but she's totally not," Mac said. "I met her at a clothing boutique, and she went out of her way to be nice to me. Do you know how rare that is in this town?"

"Yea," Logan acknowledged. "She didn't seem that nice to me, though."

"Dude, she said she was going to kick your ass," Dick said, laughing. "It's like you both repel and attract tiny blondes, who lead to your doom."

"Unlike Veronica, Buffy might actually kick your ass," Mac said with a smirk. "She mentioned to me that she liked to spar. Walking five miles into town doesn't even make her tired."

"Stamina!" Dick remarked, his eyes excited.

Mac rolled her eyes and gave him a disgusted look. "You might want to call your sister," Mac said. "Just in case Willow finds out she is adopted, then that might mean Trina has a blood sibling."

Logan considered that ramification. "I'm not sure how she'd take that," he said. "She seemed okay with finding her birth mom, though."

"I can't believe that you managed to alienate the new hot lesbian couple within two minutes of meeting them," Dick said in disgust.

Mac shook her head. "I gotta go. Try not to piss anyone else off," she said as she turned to head back to her car.

"I just have trouble believe that the girl isn't working an angle," Logan said to Dick as they, too, walked to their cars.

"I get it, dude," Dick said. "But it sounds like those girls have dealt with their own messed up shit. I also couldn’t help but notice that the Buffy girl seemed exactly your type."

"I'm not looking to hook up, Dick," Logan said.

"Veronica didn't even say goodbye," Dick pointed out. "Face it, dude. She and you are over."

Logan knew his friend was probably right, but it was hard to let her go.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_So I chose not to ignore the fact that Allyson Hannigan played Trina on the show. I hope you want to read more. Reviews are welcome. FYI: There will be no Dick/Mac pairing in this story. I have other plans for Mac. If you want Dick/Mac pairing, I will post my Veronica Mars stories here eventually! Thanks for reading_


	3. Adopted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if Neptune had an art gallery. I don't recall one, so I wrote that there's not one. If I'm wrong, please don't let that detail bother you as it's really not that important.

_ ******Two Days Later****** _

Willow woke up after a restless night of not sleeping. Last night, she'd finally gotten her parents to call her back. She'd called her parents a dozen times after Logan's revelation, but she kept getting their voicemail. When she'd finally heard from them, it was about thirty hours after she'd first called them. She was beyond pissed.

_ Flashback _

" _Mom?" she said as she answered the phone._

" _Yes, sweetheart. Is everything okay? You've called so many times—it's unlike you," Sheila said._

" _Yes, it is, and you'd think you'd have called me back right away instead of waiting more than a day," Willow said crossly._

" _Now, Willow, there's no reason to be hostile," Sheila said in the reasonable tone that set Willow's teeth on edge. It was impossible to argue with a woman who was always self-controlled. "We were away from the hotel for the day, and we didn't get your messages until this morning."_

" _Yes, and you still waited hours to call me. I could be in the hospital dying," she said pointedly._

" _If you were dying, it would be the hospital calling us," her mother pointed out. "What is wrong? You are not normally so unpleasant."_

_ Willow took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She knew getting angry would get her nowhere with her mother. She'd just hang up and not talk until Willow spoke in a more cordial tone. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm freaked out, and I had to talk to you," she said. _

" _What's got you so disturbed?" Sheila asked._

" _I met this guy on campus, who took one look at me and totally freaked out," Willow shared. "He showed me a picture of his adopted sister, and she is a dead ringer for me—except she's a few years older."_

" _That's fascinating," Sheila remarked._

" _Is it? Or does it mean I'm adopted, and you never bothered to mention it?" Willow asked._

_ Sheila was silent a long moment. _

" _Mom?" Willow prodded. "Am I? Did you and Dad adopt me? Am I not actually Jewish?" Although Willow wasn't a devout Jew, she loved the rich history and cultural of the Jewish people. Knowing she was part of such a people had filled her with a strong personal identity at an early age. When she suffered from the bullying that Cordelia and company had subjected her to, she used to remind herself that it was nothing compared to what her people had suffered. Were they not her people? That upset her more than thinking her parents weren't biologically related to her._

" _Honey, being Jewish isn't just about the blood," Sheila said. "It's a religion and a wonderful culture that no one can ever take away from you."_

" _You're not answering the question, Mom. Did you give birth to me?" she asked bluntly._

" _Well, no, I didn't," she admitted._

" _Seriously?" Willow asked, still having trouble believing it._

" _I'm sorry, Willow," her mother said. "I found out a year after your father and I married that I have a hostile womb. When I was finishing up my doctorate, I attended a conference at Hearst—right there in Neptune where you're at now. I met this lovely deaf girl, who was very pregnant and working in the cafeteria. I had taken ASL for my second language and was excited to practice it. Her name was Mary. Sadly, she was depressed, convinced that she could not care for the baby. Foolishly, she'd allow a married man to seduce her for the second time. He was married, and he kept stringing her along. I tried to convince her to go tell his wife and insist that he help, but she was too scared. My conference was three days, and on the third day, she asked if I would be interested in adopting her baby. Her other baby had gotten adopted into a wonderful home, and she was very pleased with how it turned out. I had told her about my newly wedded state and not being able to have children. I told her that I'd speak to my husband, and a week later, he came with me for an introduction. We just knew it was the right thing for our family and career. What kind of psychologists could we be if we had no personal experiences to speak of?"_

_ Her mother finally paused. "So it's true? I'm adopted, and Logan's sister is my blood relative?" Willow said, reeling from the confirmation. _

" _That's so wonderful, Willow! Your father and I never could give you a sibling like he wanted," she said. "He will be so happy to know. Please let us know when you meet her, so we can come to town and meet her, too. He will be very excited. Well, I must go. We are meeting some colleagues for drinks."_

" _That's it? That's all you have to say? You waited all this time to tell me! Were you ever going to tell me?" Willow asked._

" _Your father and I did much research and found that children who knew they were adopted grew up feeling more insecure," she said. "We didn't want you to ever feel for one moment that you weren't ours. Not to mention, your father wanted you to take your Jewish heritage seriously. If you had health issues or began planning to have a baby, we would've told you. As you've decided on a lesbian lifestyle, we didn't see any urgency in sharing the news."_

_ Willow didn't know what to say to her mother's response. It was actual proof that her parents did think of her more than she sometimes felt, but she still felt betrayed. "Can I talk to Dad?" she asked. _

" _I will have him call you tomorrow, okay? We really have to go," Sheila said._

" _Fine. Thanks," Willow said. "Goodbye."_

" _Goodbye, dear," Sheila said. "I hope you know that we love you no matter what."_

_ Willow sighed in resignation. Anger was wasted on her parents. "Yes, I know. I love you, too," she said. _

_ She hung up and then cried in Tara's arms. _

End of Flashback.

She still had so many questions. Who got her mom pregnant two different times? How come her parents never told her that she had actual relatives in Neptune? They made her so crazy, but she knew it was pointless even yelling at them. She knew she needed to speak to Logan again and find out about her sister.

"Are you okay, baby?" Tara asked in concern.

"Yea," Willow said with a sigh. "After our class, I'm going to have Buffy go with me to wherever Logan Echolls resides. I've got to speak to him about his sister—our sister."

"You know Dick said Logan was his best friend. He can probably help," Tara suggested. They had decided to take a class together for the summer. Tara hated anything math related, but Willow loved it. This way, Willow could help her. They were taking statistics. Dick failed it last fall when he was trying to get over his brother committing suicide. Luckily, the class didn't start until eleven, so they always had time in the morning.

"I can't believe how sucky that guy's life is," Willow said in sympathy. "Of course, Logan's seemed pretty crappy, too. I guess we shouldn't hold it against him for being suspicious."

"I don't know," Tara said uneasily. "He kind of scared me. He has a lot of anger."

"Well, you know people handle tragedy differently," Willow said. "Dick seems like a live and let live kind of guy while Logan is a hit me and I'll hit back harder kind of guy."

"He's like Buffy?" Tara asked with a grin.

Willow laughed. "I wouldn't say that, but she was seriously cute threatening him on my behalf the other day," she said.

Tara nodded. "She sure was, and what was funny was how we both knew she _could_ kick his butt, but he had no idea," Tara added.

"You know, I researched him," Willow said.

"Dick?"

"No, Logan and his sister," Willow shared. "His mom committed suicide. I'm not sure if his mom was Trina's mom or not. She seems to be very different from me—a real jet setter. She wants to be famous like her dad. She's done some acting and stuff."

"Dick mentioned that she and Logan weren't very close," Tara said. Dick took them to lunch after their first class the day before. He had been really funny, making them laugh a lot.

"Yea," Willow said. "I need to call Xander and tell him."

"You didn't already?" Tara asked in surprise. As close as she and Buffy was, Xander was still the one closest to her. They had a history neither Buffy nor Tara could share.

"Telling Xander makes it too real," she admitted. "He's going to be really pissed that my parents didn't tell me. He also might get it in his head to beat Logan up for his accusation."

"Well, call him, and you'll feel better," Tara said. "I'm going to go to the Hut and get us some coffee and bagels."

"Okay," Willow said, picking up the phone. Tara was right—as always.

****** _Java Hut*****_

Buffy was very excited to start her first shift at the Java Hut. Since money was kind of tight, she wanted to help out. Yesterday, she saw the now hiring sign. The manager said she was the same size as the girl who quit and hired her after very few questions. Her job was to host for a week. Then she'd learn how to wait tables. Of course, she already knew how to wait tables, but she wasn't about to argue with her new boss. Her mother had been very proud, insisting on dropping her off for work.

"Keith says he has a perfect location for my shop, so I'll swing by and let you know how it goes," Joyce said as she stopped the car.

"I got a job, and you a new gallery location—this is great," Buffy said happily. It was such a relief to be in place without conflict. Things seemed to be going so well for both of them. Once Xander got a job and moved to town, her world would be perfect.

"I'll see you soon," Joyce said as Buffy got out of the car.

Buffy's manager greeted her warmly and had her filling out paperwork when Tara walked in.

"Hi, Buffy," Tara said. "Are you starting your job already?"

"Yep. I figure since I've got almost three months of no class, I might as well do something constructive with my time," Buffy said. "How's Willow?"

"She's still freaked. I think she wants you to go with her to contact Logan. He made both of us nervous," Tara shared.

"I'll be happy to. I get off today at two," Buffy said.

"Okay, I don't want to get you into trouble, so I will order," Tara said. "Will and I will be back at two."

"Great," Buffy said.

Tara went up to the counter to order. Then, Dick and Logan came in, and Logan zeroed in on Buffy at the table. "What's Buffy doing?" he asked Dick.

"Oh, she's working here—Ronnie's old spot, I think," Dick said. Then he spotted Tara. "There's Tara. Tara!"

Tara turned and saw Dick and Logan. She smiled and waved, and Dick walked toward her while Logan moved to Buffy.

"Good morning," Logan said as he approached the table that she was sitting in.

Buffy looked up. "Good morning," she said without smiling. "I can't really talk right now, but Willow and I would like to speak with you when I get off. Are you free to meet at us here at two?"

Logan nodded. "Sure. You starting here?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm trying to finish my new hire paperwork, but I keep getting interrupted," Buffy said, finally smiling at him.

"Okay, I'll catch you later then," Logan said, glad she didn't seem angry still with him.

He turned and saw Tara carrying a to-go drink tray and small bag. "Good morning," he said, trying to be friendly. "Tara, right?"

Tara nodded, feeling anxious. She glanced at Buffy, who gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Tara. He's being nice. Tell Will he will meet us here when I get off," Buffy told her.

"Okay," Tara said, glancing once more at Logan before heading to the door.

"I guess I really messed up that first impression with her, huh?" Logan asked.

"Tara's brother and father were abusive assholes," Buffy said coldly. "Men who lash out in anger frighten her."

Logan looked stricken at what she was implying. "I'd never hurt a woman!" he exclaimed.

"Good to know," Buffy said coolly. Then she looked down at her paperwork, clearly dismissing him.

Logan couldn't remember the last time he'd been so easily dismissed and stared down at her a moment before turning back to Dick, who was at a table already.

"Dude, I ordered for you," Dick said as he sat down across from him.

"Thanks," Logan said.

"Tara just left. Did you see her?" Dick asked. "You know her and Willow are in my summer class."

"Yes, you told me," Logan said. "Willow wants to speak to me this afternoon."

"You better be nice," Dick said with a stern look—stern for Dick anyway. "They're cool chicks. Willow is super smart like Mac, but she doesn't roll her eyes at me. She's already going to tutor me and Tara. Tara's not a math person either."

Logan grinned. He couldn't remember the last time Dick spoke about a girl without objectifying her in some way. "I can't believe you've managed to make friends with two different girls without trying to mack on them," he observed.

"Well, I did flirt a bit at lunch, but Tara just laughed at me and patted my hand like I was a good little boy," Dick admitted sheepishly. "She told me that Willow had once loved a man, so I might have better luck with her, but Willow said Tara had completely bewitched her."

"Tara looked scared when I said hello," Logan told him.

Dick glared. "What the hell did you say to her?" he asked.

Logan held up his hand. "Not a thing! I swear! I just said hello," he said. "Buffy told me that her father and brother were very abusive, and angry men scare her."

"Seriously?" Dick asked horrified. "That's messed up, dude. You better not yell at anyone around her, or I might kick your ass."

"I think Buffy will do it for you," Logan said with a grin.

"You really know how to piss off the tiny, hot blondes, don't you?" Dick said, shaking his head. "You know so many of my frat brothers are out of town for the summer. The campus is majorly lame, so it's nice to meet some new people. Plus, I've always wanted to be friends with lesbians."

"Glad you got something to check off your bucket list. But you know they're probably not going to sleep with you," Logan said, smiling.

"Probably not, but I can still dream, can't I?" Dick said with a wink. "But I don't know if I could sleep with a girl who looks so much like your sister. She's not anything like Trina, though."

"You've had one class and one lunch with her," Logan pointed out. "How can you be so sure?"

"Trina is fake and calculated, dude. I've known her as long as I've known you," Dick reminded him. "Willow is warm and funny. The way she looks at Tara is kind of cool. I've never had a girl look at me like that."

"How does she look at Tara?" Logan asked.

"The way you look at Ronnie," Dick said with a smirk. "Except it doesn't make me want to gag."

"Veronica left town without a word, Dick, so I don't think you need to worry about her," Logan said, picking up his breakfast sandwich and taking a bite. Would he ever quit hurting over Veronica Mars?

"Well, there's always Buffy," Dick said, looking over at her as she listened to whatever her boss was telling her. "She might even be hotter than Veronica. Willow said she was a real hero—had saved her life when they first met four years ago. Their hometown has a real bad gang problem—the kind that kill people. Buffy's like a blackbelt or something, and she kicked the guy's ass, who attacked Willow and her two best friends. One of Willow's friends died because the gang took him when Buffy was fighting the guy who grabbed her."

"She told you all that over lunch?" Logan asked in dismay. "You're serious?"

"Serious as shit," Dick said, nodding. "I told you they weren't like other girls we know. They're like Ronnie except not angry and bitter."

"So when she said she was going to kick my ass, I was in actual danger?" Logan asked in bemusement.

"Yep," Dick said with a grin. Then he picked up his coffee and drained it.

"I guess I better make it up to her," Logan said with a grin as he glanced over at the newcomer.

"Dude, when are you going to learn that tiny blondes are your kryptonite?" Dick said, shaking his head. Logan would never learn.

***** _A Few Hours Later*****_

Joyce glanced over at Keith, trying not to show how nervous he made her. It'd been so long since she'd met a guy that she connected with. He was funny, intelligent, and adored his daughter. How could she not be attracted? After she dropped Buffy off work, she had met him at his apartment, which surprised her. He said that he'd wanted to have breakfast with her. When she pulled up to the apartment building, her cell phone beeped. She looked at it and saw that Keith sent her a text message.

_ I hope it's okay to cook you breakfast at my place. Take the stairs by the pool. First apartment at the top. _

She sent back a reply to let her know that she was there now. Nervous, she got out of the car. When she walked around the pool, she heard him call out, "Joyce!" She looked up and saw Keith smiling down at her.

Smiling, she walked up toward him.

"I am sorry for misleading you," Keith said, giving her a sheepish smile. "But I really wanted to cook you breakfast as it's the only meal I do really well."

Joyce laughed. "It's okay," she said. "I was a bit surprised, but I'm not disappointed. It's been a long time since a man cooked any meal for me." She refused to think of Ted the robot as a man. How sad was it that he was the last one who had cooked for her?

Keith pushed his front door back open. "Please come in," he said. "Once upon a time, I was sheriff of the county and owned a really nice home. Unfortunately, when I refused to believe that the guy who confessed to killing Lilly Kane was guilty, I got fired from office. The pay cut was substantial, so me and Veronica moved here. A private investigator has very unpredictable pay."

Joyce was actually relieved that he wasn't trying to be something he wasn't but seemed determined to be honest with her. "I completely understand," she said. "When I was married to Buffy's father, we actually lived in the 90210-zip code in Beverly Hills. Sunnydale was definitely a downsize. The house we have now is even smaller as the cost of living is much higher here than in Sunnydale." No need to tell him about how the high death rate kept the costs down back there.

They had a really nice breakfast, learning more about one another. Then Keith insisted on driving her around town in his car, showing her more of the town, which was great as she'd been too busy unpacking to do much exploring.

Now, they were pulling up to his office. "This is a good location as it gets a lot of foot traffic, and the traffic light right there helps," he said pointing.

Mars Investigation was clearly displayed. "I like the logo design for your name," she said.

"That's all Veronica. She does all the creative thinking," he said. He pointed to the space next door. "Right there is open. The shop is twice the size of mine, so you might find it suits your needs. The spaces closer to the outlet malls are probably the best spot, but the rents over there are more than double."

Joyce looked at the place with a critical eye. It was a good location—he was right. "Neptune doesn't have an art gallery, right?" she asked.

"No, San Diego does, and it's not too far," he said. "So with the 09ers having all that money, I can see your gallery being very successful."

"I hope so," she said. "I will need to call the owner and look inside."

He held up a key. "I already took the liberty. My landlord owns that one, so it was easy to get him to let me show you the place," he said.

Joyce smiled. "I appreciate it," she said. He was such a nice guy—so thoughtful. It was hard to believe how lucky she was to have met him.

Somehow, she knew he was going to be in life for a long time.

***** _That Afternoon*****_

Willow tried to convince Tara to join her and Buffy to meet Logan, but she refused, insisting that Buffy was more than enough support. Now that she was outside the café, she was really wishing she'd been more insistent about Tara accompanying them.

Nervous, she walked inside and saw that Logan was already sitting at a corner table drinking a coffee. Buffy wasn't sitting with him, but she waved at Willow and held up a finger. She was finishing up something with her new boss.

Willow paused, not sure if she wanted to talk to Logan without Buffy. Then she took a deep breath and decided that she was a big girl.

She could handle Logan Echolls.

After all, he was only human.

***** _To Be Continued*****_


	4. Xander

****** _The Next Day******_

Xander drove into Neptune with mixed emotions. The idea of leaving the hellmouth filled him with joy. The thought of a totally new town without much supernatural element was amazing. When the girls had decided to leave town, he'd been shocked. He knew Kennedy was a bitch supreme, but it wasn't like his girls to back down from a fight. He recalled Buffy telling him the previous Christmas Eve about her decision to basically quit slaying—at least full-time.

_Flashback_

_Buffy's mother had invited everyone to her house for a Christmas Eve celebration. Everyone was there—even Kennedy and her watcher. However, Kennedy's snobbery had pissed Faith off when she'd made a snide remark about the Summers' house._

" _Shut the hell up, Kennedy, before I break your nose!" Faith snarled._

" _Faith!" Joyce said in outrage. "Do not threaten a guest in my home!"_

" _You can't be surprised that a street rat would have a gutter mouth," Kenney said with a smirk._

_Joyce pinned her with a glared. "Young lady, I do not know what kind of behavior your parents taught you, but you do not insult the home of your hostess nor insult their other guests. If you can't be polite, you can leave," she said coldly._

_Kennedy mumbled an apology but left shortly after._

" _That's it, Giles. I'm done with this hell hole!" Faith declared. "If I stick around, I'm going to kill that bitch."_

" _Now, Faith, you know she is just spoiled," Wesley said. "You cannot let her taunt you."_

" _I'm serious," Faith said, glancing at Buffy. "I can't stay here anymore. This town doesn't need three slayers."_

" _I suppose you could go to Cleveland," Giles said. "There's a hellmouth there—although it is much smaller."_

_Faith jumped on that. "I'm so there!" she said._

" _You cannot go without a watcher," Wesley said._

" _So one of you needs to go with me," Faith said, looking between the two._

" _Technically, the council doesn't employ me as a watcher," Giles pointed out._

_Buffy finally spoke. "I think I'm done, too," she said, glancing at her mother. "Mom and I have talked about it, and I want to take a step back from slaying."_

_The group broke out in dismay, surprised at Buffy's announcement._

" _I want to go to school out of town but not too far," Buffy said. "I would come back if Kennedy needed, but she can handle the day to day."_

_End of Flashback_

Not long after Buffy's announcement, Faith and Giles left town as he won the coin toss. Although Kennedy had her own watcher, he and Wesley felt one of them needed to be on hand. The hellmouth had killed Kendra and Buffy. Also, Buffy promised to spend one weekend a month back in Sunnydale, working with Wesley. By the spring, Willow and Tara decided to go with Buffy, showing her information about Hearst, a small liberal arts college only an hour away. Things just fell together. Xander couldn't imagine living without his girls, but when he broached the topic to Anya, she refused to even consider leaving the hellmouth and her money.

_Flashback_

" _Anya, don't you want a fresh start?" Xander said._

" _This is my fresh start," she reminded him. "I'm human, and now I'm an important part of the work force doing my part to support American capitalism."_

" _It would be nice if you cared about me and our life together more than money," Xander said._

" _It would nice if you loved me as much as you loved Willow and Buffy," Anya said flatly._

_End of flashback_

Xander knew that if he got the job working for the campus and moved to Neptune, he and Anya would be over. Although that thought did hurt him, he also knew that her unwillingness to leave a place that literally killed his friends was probably proof they weren't meant to last.

When he got out of his car, he walked to Willow and Tara's dorm, excited to see his girls. He hadn't gone two weeks without seeing them since last summer when he went on his road trip.

He knocked on the door to the dorm room, and Willow opened it.

"Xander! You're here!" she exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug.

"My interview isn't for a half hour, so I wanted to see you guys. Where's Tara?" he asked.

"She'll be back in a minute," Willow said. "She went to the bathroom."

"So what's going on?" Xander asked.

"We're about to go to class. Does Buffy know you're here?" she asked.

"Yes, she's supposed to meet me after my interview for lunch," Xander said. "So have you met your sister yet? Or your mother?"

Willow shook her head. "No, but Logan apologized for being a jerk yesterday and said he was going to call Trina," she shared. "He did warn me that Trina wasn't really the family type. She didn't even come home for his mother's funeral—sent a telegram."

"He better be nice to you, or I'll have to teach him some manners," Xander said, punching one fisted hand into the other, causing Willow to giggle.

"It's okay," Willow said. "Buffy already threatened him pretty good."

Xander sighed. "Slayers get all the girls," he said.

Willow leaned against Xander, putting her head on his shoulder. "I really hope you get the job and move here. I don't want to not see you all the time," she said.

"Don't worry. There's other jobs," Xander said. "If I don't get this one, I'll just keep looking."

"Anya still refusing to join you?" Willow asked.

He shook his head. "No," he said. "She doesn't want to move."

"So what does that mean for the two of you?" Willow asked. "Will you do the long-distance thing?"

"Maybe," Xander said with a shrug. "But she thinks I love you and Buffy more, and I think she doesn't love me enough. How do you get past that?"

Willow wasn't sure how to answer. "I'm not sure," she admitted.

Tara came into the room and greeted Xander with a hug. "So good to see you," she said, meaning it. Xander had always been the easiest to be around as he just treated her like one of his girls, immediately accepting her place in Willow's life.

"Good to see you," Xander said with a warm smile. "So Willow tells me that you've been liking some dick since you been here."

Tara's eyes widened, and she looked at Willow, whose mouth was gaping like a fish.

"I said Dick, not some dick!" Willow said, choking on laughter.

Xander grinned and winked. "I know. I just had to go there," he said.

"You goof," Willow said, elbowing him. "His name is Dick Casablancas. He's Logan's best friends, and a real big surfer dude type. You'd hate him."

"Is he trying to get into your pants?" Xander said, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

Tara giggled. "He tried, but he just makes me laugh. I told him that Willow used to date a guy, so he should try hitting on her," Tara said.

Xander laughed, giving her a pleased smile. "That's my girl. Throw Willow under the bus. I knew you were one of us!" he teased.

"He said I look too much like Trina and shuddered," Willow said.

Xander grinned and then looked at his watch. "Well, ladies, wish me luck. Call me after your class, and I'll tell you where I'm at on campus," he said.

"Okay," Willow said. "Good luck."

"Good luck," Tara added.

Xander walked downstairs and found Buffy waiting for him. "How did you know I was here?" he asked.

"I knew you were coming for your interview, and I missed you," she said, giving him a hug.

"I missed you, too," he said. "Do you know where the maintenance facility is?"

"No, but I know where the closest campus map is," she said, pointing at the nearby one.

They went and looked it over, figuring that the building wasn't too far. There was a garage door open, and they went inside looking for someone in charge. A Latino man was working on a motorcycle.

"They fix bikes?" Buffy asked in bemusement.

Weevil looked up at the voice and blinked in surprise. Girls that looked like that did not venture in his work area unless it was Veronica Mars, but she was out of town for the summer.

"Can I help you?" Weevil asked, grabbing a rag to wipe his hands.

Xander smiled. "I hope so. I've got a job interview in about five minutes. Where do I go for that?" he asked.

"They finally going to hire someone? That's good," Weevil said. "I hope you get it. I'm Eli Navarro, but everyone calls me Weevil."

Xander held out his hand. "I'm Alexander Harris, but everyone calls me Xander," he said.

Weevil shook his hand and glanced at Buffy. "And what do people call you?" he asked her.

"Her name is Buffy Summers. She's a student here," Xander said.

"And everyone just calls me Buffy," she said.

"We're from Sunnydale," Xander shared.

"I'm sorry," Weevil said.

"You know about Sunnydale?" Buffy asked curiously.

"I know nothing good goes on there," Weevil said grimly.

"Not much," Buffy said.

"I had a cousin that graduated there a few years ago," he said.

"Well, if he made it out alive, we consider that a victory," Xander said with a wide smile. "I have to get to my interview."

"Go through that door. Ron is at the desk," Weevil said.

"I'll wait here for you," Buffy said. "Good luck."

Xander flashed a smile and went through the door.

"So how do you like Neptune?" Weevil asked.

"I love it. It's so much lighter than back home," she said.

"Since you came from Sunnydale, I get that," he said. "I heard your school blew up."

"At our graduation," Buffy said grimly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I can't exactly say the same thing," she said. She looked at the bike. "So is that your bike?"

Weevil nodded. "I'm on my lunch break, so I'm using some of the tools here to do some adjustments," he said.

"Cool," Buffy said. "I used to have a boyfriend my freshmen year that had a motorcycle. I always wanted to drive it, but he wouldn't let me."

"Ask your boyfriend to come back with you at five, and I'll let you ride it. I get off at five," Weevil offered.

Buffy grinned. "I don't have a boyfriend," she said. "Xander's my best friend. Xander and Willow. Willow is going here, too. She is in the dorms with her girlfriend Tara. I'm living with my mom. She bought a house in Neptune." Well, look at her—she's a regular chatty Kathy. All her slayer energy seemed to go straight to her mouth these days. It was just that Weevil was different from the other guys she'd met both back home and different from Logan and Dick. Some part of her wanted him to like her.

"Are you in the 09 zip code?" Weevil asked. The girl was too friendly to be an 09ers, but if she was loaded, she'd soon change.

Buffy snickered. "Yea, I heard all about the 09 versus 02 rivalry this town has going on," she said. "I'm not an 09er. I was a little princess when my parents were married back in L. A. But not anymore."

Weevil smiled, liking the girl a lot. "Well, I'll still be happy to let you ride my bike," he said.

Buffy gave it a longing look. "It's not a good idea," she said. "I don't have a license. My friends and mother say people are safer if I stay a pedestrian."

"Seriously?" Weevil said, surprised. "That's kind of messed up. Your friends shouldn't give up so easily on you."

Buffy laughed, appreciating his remarks. "I met this girl on campus a few days ago. She said she'd teach me how to drive," she said.

"It's not a hardship teaching a pretty girl how to drive," Weevil said with a wink. "I'd be glad to do it myself."

Buffy wasn't sure if he was seriously flirting with her or not, but she still appreciated the kind words. "Thank you for the compliment," she said.

"Compliment? Who's getting compliments?" Xander asked, reappearing.

"Back already?" Buffy asked in surprise. "All compliments are mine."

"Ron says as I had no criminal record, I was already better than employees he had," Xander said with a smirk.

"That's a dig to me," Weevil said. "He hates that he didn't hire me, but the Dean did. I have the criminal record."

"Really? How cool is that! Buffy's got a criminal record, too, but luckily, no convictions, so she could still get into school," Xander said with a wink.

Buffy shot him a dark look. "Shut up, Xander," she said.

Xander just smirked. Then he looked at Weevil. "What did you get charged for?" he asked.

"Murder," Weevil said, waiting for their condemnation.

"Hey, so did _Buffy_!" Xander said with a wide grin.

Buffy growled. "Xander!" she exclaimed.

"What? Obviously, you didn't do it," Xander said. "Weevil didn't either, so no worries."

"How do you know I didn't?" Weevil said in surprise. People he'd known for years never managed this easy acceptance, and it took him entirely off guard.

"Two reasons," Xander said. "One, the school is a private liberal arts college full of really uppity people. No amount of connections would get you hired if you were a convicted murderer. Two, I have a gift. I can tell when someone is evil. You're not."

Weevil was very surprised—so much so that he didn't know what to say.

Buffy sensed his discomfort and spoke, "So let's go get some lunch."

"Sure," Xander said. He waved at Weevil. "I'll see you in a week."

Bemused, Weevil watched the two leave. He had a feeling that the duo's presence on campus would be felt by more than just him.

The beautiful blonde didn't look at him with distrust—neither did her friend.

Only Veronica Mars had ever given him such instant respect, but even V, sometimes handled him with kid gloves.

He and V, though, were destined to never be more than friends even though he sometimes which she hadn't followed after Lilly Kane quite so much.

Somehow, he didn't think Buffy Summers would toy with the male population the way Lilly did. It was amusing that she, too, had a male best friend like Veronica.

Weevil knew, though, the new guy wasn't a marshmallow the way Wallace was. No one that survived Sunnydale could ever be.

After all, it took a lot to survive on the mouth of hell.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. More to come. Reviews are the best way to show your appreciation, so take a minute and type one in!_


	5. Surf's Up

_*****Three Days Later*****_

Buffy was helping her mother move things into her new gallery. The storage truck from Sunnydale had arrived driven by movers. Keith—her mother's new special friend—was helping unpack.

Willow and Tara arrived with coffee and donuts. "We brought sugary goodness," Willow said, holding up the box of donuts."

"That's the best kind of goodness," Buffy said, grabbing the box and sitting down on a newly unloaded table. "You two are the best."

"Since Xander hasn't moved here yet, we thought we'd lend you a hand," Willow said. "Why didn't the movers unload?"

"They would have, but it cost more," Buffy said. "Since I'm stronger than any mover, I told Mom not to have them do so. I didn't know she'd have a special male friend already."

"You gotta keep the mystical muscles on the down low," Willow said with a grin.

"Yes, I know," Buffy said. "I'm trying, but it's not easy."

"Dick said he'd be here to help, too," Tara said.

Keith came in carrying a box and heard the name. "Dick Casablancas?" he asked.

Tara nodded. "Yes. Do you know him?" she asked.

"Yes. He was one of my daughter's chief tormentors in high school. His brother was a serial killer that tried to kill Veronica, so you could say I know him quite well," Keith said grimly.

Willow exchanged a look with Tara. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have asked him to help if I knew that," she said.

"He-He's in our summer class and has-has been very nice to us," Tara said, feeling anxious.

"It's fine," Keith said. "Veronica fell in love with his best friend, and even though she and Logan could never make it work, I know he still cares deeply for Veronica. Logan is Dick's only real family as his dad is in jail for fraud. Dick's mother lives in another country with her new husband."

"He's had it rough," Tara said. "Guys like him usually don't see me, but he does. He's been a gentleman."

"He knows you're dating Willow, right?" Keith asked, giving her a gentle smile. There was something about Tara that made a man want to protect her. Did Dick actually respond to that or was he planning something notorious with her? Keith couldn't help but worry.

"He knows," Willow said with a grin. "He said he's never been friends with lesbians. I think that's our appeal. We find him amusing, but don't worry. Anyone that tries to hurt Tara will regret it." A disturbing gleam came into her eyes at her proclamation.

Somehow, Keith believed the young lady. At first glance, Willow came across as an intelligent, friendly young lady—similar to Tara. However, when she got that look in her eye, he felt a chill. Willow was much stronger than she appeared and probably well able to handle Dick or any guy like him.

"Not if I hurt him first," Buffy said.

Keith grinned. "Such strong women—I love it," he said, winking at Joyce.

Joyce smiled warmly at him. He was so great—she was having trouble not being suspicious. Ted had seemed great, too.

"Did Mom mention that I'm an expert in several forms of martial arts?" Buffy asked Keith.

"No," Keith said in surprise. "She just said you were gifted and capable."

"Which she is," Joyce said before picking up a small box and moving to the back room.

"Well, Beethoven was gifted at playing the piano," Buffy said. "I'm gifted at kicking ass—I mean butt."

Tara giggled. Trying to pass off a slayer as just a gifted fighter seemed ludicrous, but they had to come up with some reason to explain Buffy's physical abilities.

"Really? Maybe you can show Veronica some moves when she returns," Keith said. "She's about your size, but she carries a taser. Unfortunately, there's been a few situations where self-defense would've come in handy."

"I'll be happy to," Buffy said, flashing Keith a beaming smile. She really liked this guy. He had a cool job and experience both winning and losing. His wife left him for another man—a married man at that. His daughter sounded like a girl Buffy would really like, so she hoped this new romance blossomed. Buffy had always wanted a sister.

The man under discussion did arrive and brought Logan, who was anxious to have a do-over with both Buffy and Willow.

"Help has arrived," Dick said, already carrying a box he'd grabbed from the back of the truck. Logan had one, too.

"Great," Buffy said. "Put those against the wall. Mom will tell us where to move stuff after we unload."

Logan put his down and looked at Keith. "Good morning, sir," he said. He'd always hoped Keith would like him, but he never felt he'd gotten the approval he sought from the man he greatly admired.

"Good morning, Logan, Dick. It's nice of you two to lend a hand," Keith said cordially.

"Always happy to help pretty ladies," Dick said, wiggling his eyebrows at Tara, who laughed in amusement.

"My mother would've been very excited to have an art gallery in town," Logan said to Buffy. "She was a collector."

Joyce came back into the room, overhearing. "I wish I could've met her as I love other art lovers," Joyce said. She held out her hand to Logan. "Logan, it's good to see you again. Thanks for your help."

"Glad to help. That's Dick. You met him at the beach with me," Logan said, pointing to him. The woman was warm like all of the women from Sunnydale. Genuine warmth still managed to catch him off guard—it made him ache for his mother, who radiated warmth and kindness.

"Great to see you again," Dick said, shaking her hand.

"You, too," Joyce said. "I'm glad that the girls have met some nice guys at the school."

"I don't think anyone's ever accused us of being a nice guy," Logan said with a grin.

"Speak for yourself. The neighbor next door to my house growing up always said I was nice 'cause I carried in her groceries," Dick said with a smug smile.

"Didn't she have a very hot daughter three years older than us?" Logan reminded him.

"Yep," Dick said, popping the p and grinning.

Tara and Willow kept laughing at him, making Keith relax as he saw why they liked Dick. Dick was acting the lovable oaf—he could be decent when he wanted. Keith tried to keep his skepticism to himself.

Buffy went back outside to carry in a large trunk. It didn't dawn on her that she shouldn't be seen carrying it, and all three men were staring at her surprise when she came in with it.

"Buffy, why don't you let me help you with that?" Keith said.

Joyce realized the situation and said, "Oh, don't worry. That one is empty—it's an antique trunk," she said.

Buffy flashed her mother a grateful look and quickly took it to her office and put it out of sight. Willow followed her in there. "Be more careful, Buffy," Willow said.

"Yea, I know," Buffy said. "It's just been so long since I've had to be secret-girl."

"These guys might be a bit open minded," Willow said. "We told Dick we were Wiccans, and he didn't seem phased by it."

"He probably didn't know what you even meant," Buffy said with a grin. "And Wiccan is a far cry from vampire slayer."

It didn't take long for them to get the place unpacked. Logan couldn't help but observe how Keith responded to Buffy's mom.

"So is your mom dating Keith?" Logan asked Buffy when she went outside to shut up the truck.

"I think it's more like getting to know each other at this point," Buffy said. "My mom doesn't really date much, but he seems pretty great."

"He is," Logan said. "When my psycho father tried to burn Veronica alive, he jumped through actual flames to save her. And he still let her date me."

"That's amazing," Buffy said, impressed. "You must make a good impression on some people then, huh?"

Logan grinned. "I don't always make a good first impression, but I'm pretty good by the third or fourth or tenth impression," he said.

Buffy laughed. "I bet," she said.

"Look, I really am sorry for getting so worked up about Willow," he said. "I just don't trust easily."

"Hey, it's okay," Buffy said. "I get it. We all have our baggage. My high school blew up on graduation, and several people died that I knew. Willow's best friend was killed the week we first met. None of us are going to be perfect all the time."

Logan wasn't used to easy forgiveness and found her even more appealing. "So do you and your friends have plans after this? Dick and I were going to go surfing. Have you ever been?" he asked.

"Not in years," Buffy said. "I was born and raised in Los Angeles and did some surfing when I was in middle school. But I haven't done it in years. I would bet money Tara and Willow haven't."

"Do you think they'd come? I really want to get to know Willow," Logan said.

"She's a redhead, so she does burn easily," Buffy said. "But I'm sure she'll come for a bit."

After saying goodbye to the parentals, Buffy and the girls followed Dick and Logan to their favorite beach location, so they'd know where it was. Then they promised to meet them in a half hour and went to get their swimsuits. Tara had a beach umbrella, and Buffy had a cooler for some drinks. When Buffy and her mom tried to have a beach day, it'd gotten interrupted, so she was excited to do something so completely normal.

Logan, of course, stopped at the nearby beach store and bought an extra surfboard that he thought a girl would like. He didn't buy the pink one as none of the girls struck him as that carefree. He went with the purple with gold stars. Dick started to grab a six-pack of beer, but Logan held up his hand. "It's not even noon yet, and we want these girls to trust us," Logan told him.

Dick looked sheepish. "I know," he said. "It's just habit."

They pulled up to the beach. Dick went around and opened his tailgate and sat on it to wait for the girls. Logan came around, leaning against it. "You know I called and spoke to Trina about Willow," he said.

"What did she say?" Dick asked.

Logan shrugged. "You know Trina. 'Oh, yea? That's cool. Tell her I said hi,'" he said, rolling his eyes in disgust.

"Seriously? She didn't seem interested in coming to town to meet her?" Dick asked in surprise.

"She never indicated she would," Logan said. "Before I could pin her down, she hung up."

Dick winced. "So what are you going to tell Willow? She seemed really excited at the thought of a sister," he said.

"Yea, I know," Logan said. "But I can't tell her the truth. When Trina does come to town, she'll be all sunshine and roses with her—trying to earn a new admirer. Hopefully, she won't stay in town long enough to disillusion Willow."

"Let's hope," Dick said. They were silent a long moment. Then Dick asked, "Do you know what Wiccans are?"

"It's a pagan religion—tree huggers and witchcraft," Logan said. "I don't know exactly."

Dick's eyes widened. "Witchcraft? Seriously?" he asked.

Logan looked puzzled. "Why are you asking me about a religion? Planning to take a religious studies class in the fall?" he asked.

Dick shook his head. "No. Tara and Willow told me that they were Wiccans," he said.

"Really?" Logan said with interest. "I've never met any serious Wiccans. That's cool—they are so different from other girls."

"Witches, though?" Dick asked, worried.

Logan laughed. "Dude, you know there's no such thing as real witches," he said. "It's just New Age stuff—crystals and respecting Mother Earth."

"Do you think Buffy is a witch, too?" Dick asked. "Because it'd be your luck to fall for a girl that could actually turn you into a toad if you broke her heart!"

"Here they come," Logan said, not wanting to touch that crazy statement.

Willow and Tara weren't really interested in surfing, but they assured Logan and Dick they'd be happy to watch them.

"I'm going to join you," Buffy said. "I don't have a board, though."

"That's okay," Logan said, smiling. "I bought you one."

Buffy was surprised but pleased at her board. "That's really sweet of you," she said. "I love purple."

"They had a pink one, but none of you seemed like pink-type girls," Logan said.

"Once upon a time I was," Buffy said.

Logan's mind instantly thought of another blonde pixie girl who was a pink-type girl once upon a time, too.

"Hey, Buffy, are you a Wiccan, too?" Dick asked. "Willow said she and Tara were Wiccans."

"No, I'm not a practicing witch," Buffy said, not thinking. Then she looked at Willow, whose eyes spoke volumes. "I mean, I'm not a practicing Wiccan."

"Logan said it was tree huggers, New Age, and witchcraft," Dick said, giving the girls a quizzical look.

"Come to our dorm sometime, Dick, and we'll tell you all about it," Willow said.

Dick's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.

"There will be no shenanigans," Willow said, wagging her finger.

Logan snickered at Dick's crestfallen expression. "Give it up, Dick," he said, slapping his friend. Then he grabbed his board.

"Are you ready?" he asked Buffy.

She nodded and turned to Willow. "Wish me luck," she said.

Willow made a pffing soud. "As if you need luck," she said.

Buffy grinned and followed the guys to the water. She paddled out with them and watched as they got a wave each. It was clear the boys were experienced at surfing. To Buffy, it looked fairly uncomplicated, so she didn't wait for any instruction but paddled out to catch a wave.

The water surrounded her; the smell of salt filled her nostrils. She grinned at the pelican she saw dive down for a fish. The world of slaying and death seemed so far away—the hellmouth began to recede. Then she caught her first wave—it was like riding a bike. Her slayerness combined with her natural athleticism had no trouble balancing on the board.

Logan paddled next to Dick to watch Buffy. "She's a natural," Logan commented.

"That girl is so hot she makes my teeth sweat," Dick said, watching. "If you don't ask her out, I will."

Logan grinned. "Doesn't she scream relationship girl? I'm not sure I'm ready for that," he said.

"So talk to her and find out," Dick said, paddling to catch another wave.

They surfed for about a half hour and then went back to the beach to greet Willow and Tara.

"That was impressive!" Tara said, smiling at the trio.

"Buffy was impressive," Logan said, flashing her a look of admiration. "I've never seen anyone just get up on a board and surf who hasn't done it in years. You didn't wipe out once."

"Well, I'm gifted athletically," Buffy said with a shrug. "And I have done it before—it's just been years."

"You girls want to give it a try?" Dick asked, throwing himself down on the sand next to Tara.

"Probably not a good idea since I can't actually swim," Tara admitted.

Everyone looked at her in surprise—even Willow. "Seriously? You can't swim?" Buffy asked. "How is that possible?"

"I didn't grow up near the ocean, and there were no pools at home," Tara said, looking bashful. "There was a lake my dad and brother went fishing in, but they never took me."

"Oh, baby, I wish you told me that," Willow said, reaching for her hand. "I will teach you. There's a pool on campus."

"No, I will!" Dick said. "I have a pool at my childhood home. No one around to stare."

"Thanks," Tara said.

"You know I will be there, right?" Willow said, arching her eyebrow. "Not trusting you alone with my girl."

"Afraid I might convert her?" Dick asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Of course, they laughed at his blatant come-on. "No, Dick, I'm not worried," Willow said. "Not even a little bit."

Buffy and Tara both kept giggling at the thought of Dick trying to seduce Tara.

Then they were interrupted by a group of five rather large men. "Logan Echolls?" one of them asked. The man had an accent that sounded Eastern European.

Logan stood up, instantly tense as he recognized one of them as a companion or friend of Gorya Sorokin, the guy he'd beat up the last week of school for posting a fake sex tape of Veronica with her boyfriend Piz.

This couldn't possibly be good…

_******TO Be Continued******_

_Of course, I had to bring in Gorya, but this will NOT resemble "Tear Away the Mask" in any way. Thanks for reading. Reviews are super! Leave a kudo if you liked it at all!_


	6. A Russian Problem

_ ******Where We Left****** _

Logan eyed the group of Russians warily as he stood. "Be cool," he said to Dick.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Logan, you can't go around beating my cousin without consequences," said the Russian, who Logan had seen before.

"What was your name again?" Logan asked the guy. Buffy put down her board and stood next to Logan.

Feeling anxious, Tara reached for Willow's hand.

"Casmir," the big guy said.

"Well, Casmir, Gorya had it coming," Logan said. "It was a fair fight—one on one."

"Well, I don't fight fair," Casmir said, looking at his four companions.

Buffy wasn't about to let Logan get beat by a group of guys and stepped forward. "Well, I don't either," she said coolly. "And unless you want to get beat by a girl, I suggest you get out of here."

Casmir and his friends laughed. "So is this your new bodyguard or is she your new lover?" he asked.

"Neither. Just a friend," Logan said. He wasn't about to let Buffy get hurt or fight for him, and he kicked Casmir hard between the legs, causing him to fall to his knees. Then he hit him in the face, causing his head to swing back, knocking him back further. "I know how to take a beating, but giving one is much more fun."

When another guy moved to attack, Dick jumped into the fray, punching the guy in the face.

Willow resisted the urge to use her magic to end the scuffle. Instead, she jumped up, pulling Tara out of harm's way.

Buffy, of course, wasn't about to let the two other guys attack. First, she kicked Casmir, who was struggling to get to his feet, in the head. She made sure it was nowhere near full force, but it was enough to knock the guy unconscious.

"Buffy!" Willow scolded.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Then she grabbed the man who was landing a punch on Logan's backside while he was busy fighting a different guy. She pulled the man back, knocking him to the ground. Then she moved to punch the last guy hard enough in the face to knock him onto the ground.

Logan helped Dick dispatch the guy he was fighting. "Get gone before I have you all arrested for assault," Logan said. "I still have some influence in this town."

The men glared but didn't attack further. Instead, they helped Casmir to his feet and walked back to their vehicles, partly carrying Casmir.

Logan looked at his new pixie friend in amazement. "So you weren't actually exaggerating when you said you'd kick my ass if I upset Willow again, were you?" he asked.

Buffy grinned. "Nope," she said.

"That was so hot! Will you have my first born? I think we'd make a beautiful baby together!" Dick exclaimed.

"So you're over us already, Dick?" Willow asked in mock outrage.

Tara giggled at Dick's flummoxed expression as he tried looking at all three women.

"No, of course not! I'd be happy to be either of yours baby-daddy!" Dick said with a wide smile. Then he gave Buffy a leer. "But she's not a lesbian, so she might actually let me make a baby the old-fashioned way!"

Buffy laughed, unable to take him seriously. "I'm not sure you could handle me, Dick," she said. "I'm very jealous and possessive. If you were mine, I'd hurt you real bad if you so much as looked at another girl."

"But what a way to go!" Dick said with a happy sigh.

Logan laughed, slapping his friend on the back. "Let's not scare off our new friends," Logan said. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime," Buffy said.

"Why can't we have beach time without drama?" Willow complained.

"Why don't we get a bite to eat or something?" Logan suggested. "My treat."

"You can explain why you're persona non-grata with the Russians in this town," Buffy said with a bright smile.

"I will," Logan said.

"I'm going to go home and change," Buffy said. She looked at Willow and Tara. "Do you want to take me home?"

"Why don't I take you home, so they can get cleaned up?" Logan said. He looked at Willow. "You can pick Buffy up and meet us at a nice Italian place. You like Italian?"

"Are we female?" Willow said with an eager smile.

"Okay, then it's a group date," Logan said with a smirk.

They separated. Buffy was hyped up after the fight. It'd been weeks since she'd gotten to do a spot of violence, and she was chatting a mile a minute.

"You seem way too happy," Logan observed as he opened the passenger side of Dick's truck.

"It's been too long since I got to beat someone up," she said with a cheeky grin. "You are too tall to sit in the back. I'll be happy to." She moved there before he could protest.

He shrugged and got into the truck as Dick started it up. Buffy gave them her address, and the boys looked with interest at her house when they pulled up.

"You live close to Mac-attack," Dick observed.

"She said she lived pretty close," Buffy said. "So did you text Willow the address of the restaurant?"

"I did," Logan said. "Luigi's is a place Veronica and I always went to. She loves that place."

"Ronnie's another tiny blonde that can eat her weight in food," Dick said.

Eventually, they all made it to dinner, and Logan and Dick gave the three women the back story for his outs with the Russians.

"You do like your drama, don't you?" Buffy asked in bemusement.

"Not as much as it likes me," Logan said. They had secured the only large, round booth the restaurant had. Buffy was next to Willow with Logan next to her at one end and Dick at the other end next to Tara.

"I'm still thinking this is better than the kind of drama we had back in Sunnyhell," Willow said.

"I agree," Buffy said.

"What kind of drama did your hometown have?" Logan asked, curious about his almost sister, Willow, as well as Buffy.

"Well, there was lots of mysterious disappearances," Willow said. "My best friend Xander and I lost our closest friend Jesse our sophomore year. He disappeared." She hated lying, but that was the official story that his parents got.

"And lots of murders. Our high school graduation resulted in several casualties and the school blew up," Buffy said.

"No shit?" Dick asked in shock.

"I remember hearing about that," Logan said. "It was on the news. Some type of gas explosion."

"So they say," Buffy said, taking a drink of her tea.

"Then last year, we had this covert military group working in town doing weird experiments on people," Willow said. "They even kidnapped my ex-boyfriend and were electrocuting him and stuff. Buffy had to go rescue him."

"Wow," Logan said. "That's disturbing."

"The psychology professor, Dr. Walsh, was drugging her own students and using them as test subjects," Buffy said. "It was pretty messed up.”

"So there is a town worse than Neptune after all," Logan said.

"I'm surprised," Dick said. "But that does sound like some crazy shit."

"Aren't you going to ask about Willow having one time had a boyfriend?" Logan asked Dick with a smirk.

"No, 'cause they already told me she had one once, but Tara turned her," Dick said, winking at Tara, who giggled and blushed.

"She didn't turn me," Willow said. "She just made me fall in love with her."

"Same thing," Dick said with a shrug. "You gave up stick for her, so she must be pretty hot, huh?"

"You'll never know," Willow said, looking smug.

Buffy laughed, never having seen Willow act so provocatively. Dick brought out a new side in her and Tara that Buffy was really entertained by.

Then the food arrived, and all talking ceased for several minutes.

"This is so good," Buffy said after she inhaled her sampler platter. She'd gotten three different kinds of pasta as she couldn't decide.

"I figured you'd like it," Logan said, smiling at her.

"I can't believe you ate all that," Dick said, looking impressed. "You eat even more than Ronnie, and I didn't think it was possible. Are you bubonic?"

"What?" Buffy asked, confused.

"You know, bubonic—eat a bunch a then throw up later?" Dick said, trying to explain.

Willow snickered. "The word is bulimic, and no, Buffy isn't bulimic. She just has a high metabolism," Willow said.

"Like many athletic people," Buffy said. "I burn it off."

"Ronnie doesn't exercise," Dick remarked. "She must just have high metabolism."

"Would you stop talking so much about my ex?" Logan said with a smirk. "It's creeping me out!"

"He must miss her," Buffy said, grinning.

"Like I would crabs," Dick said, causing Tara to choke on her drink. He pounded her on her back.

"Sorry. You surprised me," Tara said, wiping her mouth.

"Veronica and Dick didn't exactly get along," Logan said.

"She ran over my favorite surfboard—on purpose," Dick said. "Sure, my crazy brother tried to kill her, but that wasn't my fault. I didn't know he was so messed up." Dick frowned at the mention of Beaver. Why did he do that? Why did he bring up his brother?

Buffy exchanged a look with Logan, who gave a slight shake of his head—don't ask questions.

Tara reached for Dick's hand. "Don't be sad, Dick. It's okay to love your brother," she said softly.

Dick looked stricken at her words. "If I had loved him better, he might not have killed so many people. Meg might be alive, and Duncan might not have ran off with their baby. He wouldn't have killed himself before I could tell him how sorry I was for not seeing he was hurting so much," Dick said, his voice breaking.

Logan looked shocked at Dick's confession. Dick had never revealed so much about his feelings about Beaver.

Tara, though, didn't falter. "People in pain don't always allow themselves to get the help they need," she said. "It wasn't your fault. All you can do is learn from the mistakes you made with him and show more compassion to someone else in your life that might need it." She squeezed his hand.

Dick took a breath, not sure what made him blurt out so much. He felt embarrassed, but none of the girls were looking at him with pity. Instead, he saw understanding and sympathy on their faces. Logan, though, looked guilty. Dick rolled his eyes. Logan thought he could protect Dick from everything.

"Sorry, for being a wet blanket," he mumbled.

"We're all entitled to it every so often," Buffy said. "I ran away from home at the end of my junior year after this horrible break up with this guy I was so in love with. He destroyed so many lives, and I felt so guilty for loving him anyway."

"So is that your type? Guys who screw everyone else up?" Logan asked. "I might have to apply since I'm pretty sure all my exes would say I have that qualification!"

Buffy laughed. "Sorry. No broken hearts need apply. I'm looking for fun—not a soul mate," she said.

Logan was struck by her description. Soulmate? Was Veronica his soulmate? Is that why he felt so lost and empty without her? He pushed aside thoughts over Veronica and focused on what else Buffy said.

She was looking for fun, and so was he.

Logan insisted on the girls picking a dessert to take home since he had caused their beach time to be spoiled. None of the girls thought so. In fact, all three of them were impressed that he'd taken on a guy who'd tried to humiliate his ex. It said a lot about his loyalty, and loyalty was something the Scoobies prized a lot.

They hugged both guys and were carrying their small to-go bags out to Willow's car when a motorcycle drew their attention.

"Hey, I think I know that guy," Buffy said to Willow. She waved at the driver.

Weevil paused at the stoplight in front of Luigi's when he saw a girl wave at him. Not sure who it was, he drove his bike into the parking lot, pausing next to the car.

When he realized he did recognize the hot blonde, he grinned and turned off his engine. "Well, hello again," he said.

"Hey," Buffy said, smiling. "It was Weevil, right?"

"Eli Navarro by birth," Weevil said.

"This is Willow and Tara—I think Xander and I mentioned them to you," Buffy said.

The girls gave him a shy smile. "Hello," Willow said.

"Weevil works where Xander's going to," Buffy explained.

"Oh," Willow said, her eyes lighting up. "Xander's the best!"

Weevil grinned. "He's got three beautiful women who love him, but none of you are sleeping with him," Weevil said. "The poor guy."

Buffy laughed. "Yes, well, friends last longer than lovers in some cases—at least in mine," she said.

"You must be dating guys without any staying power," he said, giving her a look that made her flush.

Willow caught the exchange and glanced at Tara, who was fighting a grin. Interesting.

"Weevil said he'd teach me how to ride his bike sometime," Buffy said.

"Well, how about now?" Willow suggested with an eager grin. "I was about to take Buffy home, but you can if you're not busy."

Buffy glared at Willow—could she be more obvious?

"Actually, I'm not busy at all," Weevil said, looking at Buffy. "I'd be glad to give you a lesson and a ride home. We still have two more hours of daylight."

"Oh, we'll take your dessert," Tara offered.

"I'll keep it safe in our fridge," Willow said.

"You better," Buffy said.

Logan had been about to pull out of the parking lot when Dick tapped his arm. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Logan asked.

"Weevil is driving off with our new hot blonde!" Dick shared in shock.

Logan was equally shocked at he saw Buffy put on a helmet and wrap her arms around Weevil.

"What the hell?" Logan asked, unable to believe it.

"Looks like Weevil managed to have some alone time with Buffy before you," Dick said with a snicker. "I bet that really burns."

Logan's hands tightened on the wheel.

Did it burn? Just a tad…

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_ I enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you liked it. Reviews are lovely. Thanks! _


	7. Two Beaux

***** _Where We Left Off*****_

Weevil couldn't believe this very hot blonde was so willing to go with him on his motorcycle. Then again, she did one time live on a hellmouth. Maybe, she loved to live dangerously.

When he stopped at a red light, he asked, "Do you want to go straight home?"

"Not if you want to show me the sights," Buffy said.

Weevil nodded and turned on to the PCH, so he could open up the bike.

Buffy hadn't been on a bike since Pike, and Weevil's was much bigger. They were flying down the road, and she loved every second of it.

"I got to get one of these!" she yelled in his ear.

Weevil grinned, glad she liked it. He stopped at a cliffside turn that looked over the water. "This is a nice spot to watch the sun set," he suggested.

Buffy got off the bike, trying to smooth out her hair after taking off the helmet. "I'm sure my hair is messy," she said.

"You're sexy as hell, so who cares?" he said, giving her wink.

"Well, that's nice of you to say," she said. She moved to a large rock and sat on it. "Join me?"

Weevil sat down next to her, and they watched the sun set. "It's probably not a good idea to drive your first time in the dark. Are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

"I have a shift at the Java Hut—I'm working there for the summer," Buffy said. "I'm done by four."

"How about you let me give you a lesson, and then I'll take you to dinner?" Weevil suggested.

"Sounds good," she said. "This is nice. Back in Sunnydale, I never got much time to just relax."

"I bet," Weevil said. "I heard that town had a lot of weird shit going on in it."

"That's putting it mildly," Buffy said. "But I'd rather hear all about you."

"Well, there's not much to tell. I have two younger siblings that my grandma takes care of. My dad's in prison, and my mom died when I was twelve of cancer," he said. "My dad wasn't even allowed to go to her funeral."

Buffy winced. "That's awful. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how much that sucked. I don't know what I'd do without my mom. We didn't used to be so close, but the past few years, she's really been there for me," Buffy shared.

"My abuela, though, is the best. I rent a small apartment not too far from where she is," he said. "So I get to see her and my siblings all the time."

"I always wished I had a sibling, but now I have Xander and Willow," she said. "Until moving to Sunnydale and meeting them, I'd never had friends who'd die for me before—Xander saved my life once even."

"Really? That's impressive. How he do that?" he asked.

"I drowned and died for a minute or so," Buffy said. "But Xander revived me."

"You can't swim?" Weevil asked in surprise.

"I can swim," she said. "I just got knocked out and thrown into a pool of water—a fountain actually."

"Seriously?" Weevil asked, not sure she wasn't joking.

Buffy nodded. "There was a lot of problems—gangs on PCP and stuff like that in my town," she said. "Since I'm mostly an expert in several forms of martial arts, I took it upon myself to patrol the town, looking for people that needed help."

Weevil smirked. "Another tiny blonde with a God complex? What are the odds?" Did she know about the hellmouth and was playing it coy, or did she really think gangs were the problem?

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to Veronica? Everyone keeps comparing me to her, and I'm not sure I like it," she grumbled.

"Oh, it's a compliment," Weevil said, grinning. "Veronica Mars is a one-woman wrecking ball when she wants to be, but she doesn't use her fists—she's wicked smart and often vindictive when crossed."

"Yes, Dick told me that she destroyed his favorite surfboard," Buffy said.

"Did he tell you why? He sliced her tires or had one of his buddies do it," Weevil said in disgust. "The crap V put up with from Logan and his friends was unbelievable. They went from treating her like one of them to like she was a leper. When her best friend Lilly was murdered, she was devastated. Then her dad lost his job, her mom ran off, and then they lost their house. Kids going out of their way to torment her, and she didn't bend. She just got tougher."

"Sounds like you admire her a lot," Buffy said. She couldn't help but be a bit intimidated by this girl's reputation. Until Buffy became a slayer, she was very much like these 09ers.

"I do. She's been a good friend to me," Weevil said.

"But not more than that?" Buffy asked, not sure how she'd feel either way.

Weevil shook his head. "Nah. I was in love with Lilly, and I'm not going to go after another girl Echolls is in love with," he said.

"You think Logan's still in love with her?" Buffy asked.

He shrugged. "I couldn't say. I don't keep up with the gossip, but I do know they broke up at the beginning of the year. He still beat up her current boyfriend for the sex video, so he's not indifferent," Weevil said.

"Is this where I tell you that I've spent time with him?" Buffy said. "My friends and I went to dinner with him this evening—him and Dick."

"Well, there's no accounting for taste," Weevil said with a grin. "But he's not the worst thing. He's loyal, so if you're friends with him, I'm sure, he'll treat you well. Or are you dating him?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Now it was Buffy's turn to shrug. "I'm not really dating anyone, but I want to have a good summer. If some rich guy wants to buy me dinner for the pleasure of my company, who am I to say no?" she said, grinning. "I eat a lot."

Weevil looked her up and down. "I have a hard time seeing that," he said.

"I guess you'll find out tomorrow evening," she said.

Weevil felt smug. "I guess I will," he said. He decided he liked the idea of knowing she might be dating Logan casually because it'd piss him off to know Weevil was too. "But just so we're clear—it's a date."

"Does that mean you're paying?" she asked.

Weevil laughed. "I do appreciate your mercenary outlook on things—yes, I will buy," he said.

"Well, then, consider me your date—at least for tomorrow evening," Buffy said with a smirk.

They chatted about nothing too important for several more minutes before getting back on the bike. Buffy had given him her address, so he drove straight there. When he stopped, he turned off the bike. "I live in that small apartment complex over there," Weevil said, pointing down the street.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked. "That's convenient."

"Isn't it," Weevil said with a grin. "My grandma is one block over that way." He pointed further west.

"Mac said she lives close, too," Buffy said. "Do you know her? I heard she's close friends with Veronica and good with computers."

"Yes, she's Veronica's tech girl when she needs tech done," Weevil said. "She dated Dick's brother before he was revealed to be a mass murderer and took a nosedive off the Neptune Grand."

Veronica winced. "That's up there with my level of ex-boyfriend story," she remarked. "She's going to teach me how to drive a car—or thinks she will anyway."

"You don't drive at all?" Weevil asked.

"Not well enough to pass a test," Buffy said. "My friends and parents have given up teaching me."

"Then it's a good thing you're making new friends," Weevil said. "I'll teach you how to ride a bike."

"I think I'll actually do better on a motorcycle," Buffy said. Her slayer reflexes were too much for her mom's car—or Giles—or Xander's—or Willow's. Okay, so she didn't do well in cars at all.

"I bet so," Weevil said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks for the ride," Buffy said, smiling warmly at him. He wasn't as tall as Angel, but he was full of layers—she liked him.

"My pleasure," Weevil said before starting up the bike and driving off. Things were definitely looking up for him.

***** _The Next Day*****_

Logan went into the Java Hut for lunch, determined to get a better read on Buffy. He didn't know why she went off with Weevil, but he was going to find out. When he saw her, she smiled and asked him, "Staying for lunch?"

"Yes," he said. "Can I sit in your section?"

"Of course," Buffy said, leading him to an open table.

"I'll take the lunch special with a Coke," he said.

"Got it," Buffy said.

Logan pulled out his phone to kill some time before she came back. When she put his drink in front of him, he looked up and smiled. "So I was hoping that you'd let me take you to dinner tonight," he said.

"I've got plans tonight, but I'm free tomorrow night," Buffy said with a bright smile. Look at her. Two dates two nights in a row!

"That's great," Logan said. "Do you like boats? I can take you out on my dad's boat. I was thinking of selling it, but Dick said I should hold on to it."

"I've not been on a boat in ages," Buffy said eagerly. "That'd be awesome. Do you want to water ski or something?"

"I was thinking just dinner and moonlight, but we can make a day of it if you want to meet a bit earlier like at three or four," he suggested.

"Water skiing without Dick would probably be rude, though, right?" she pointed out.

"I don't mind Dick, but how can I ever get alone time with you?" he asked with a leer.

Buffy laughed. "I'll let you kiss me good night if you're a very good boy," she said.

She went to take care of another table while he took a sip of his drink. Should he ask about Weevil? Would that piss her off?

When she brought his lunch, he decided to play it cool. "I noticed you getting on Weevil's bike at the restaurant last night. How did you meet him?" he asked.

"Oh, did I tell you that Xander, our best guy friend is moving here, too? He got a job where Weevil works," Buffy explained. "I met him when Xander went for his interview. We bonded over both being wrongfully accused of murder."

Logan looked surprised. "You, too?" he asked.

"I must attract all the bad boys," Buffy said in bemusement. "You can tell me all about your time tomorrow."

Logan didn't want to distract her too much at work, but he did think to ask her for her number.

"I don't have a cell phone, so you'll have to call my house number or Willow," Buffy said, giving him her house digits.

"Seriously? How can you not have a phone?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't need one when everyone else has one," she said with a grin. Of course, her slaying and fighting had been reason for not getting one. Maybe, she should think of getting one now that life was almost normal.

After lunch, Logan met up with Dick at their place. Dick was just getting back from his summer class.

"So glad it's Friday. This going to class five days a week blows," Dick said, flopping down on the sofa.

"Any plans for tonight?" Logan asked.

"Nah. I was thinking of going by the house and shooting pool with the guys," Dick said. "You wanna come?"

"Sure," Logan said. "Got nothing else to do."

"I thought you were going to ask Buffy out?" Dick asked.

"I did. She had plans tonight, but she said yes for tomorrow," Logan said. "We're going to go on the boat. She said she'd like to do some water skilling."

Dick's eyes lit up. "Seriously? You're going to go skiing without me?" he asked.

"Actually, Buffy suggested you might want to go," Logan said in disgust. "I told her I wanted to have alone time, and she said she might kiss me goodnight."

"That's what I'm talkin' about! She's totally into you, dude," Dick said.

"I'm not so sure," Logan said, frowning. "She was with Weevil last night, and she said she had plans tonight. What if she's with him?"

"So what if she is?" Dick said. "A girl that hot ain't gonna stay with a guy that ugly for long."

"Not everyone finds him repulsive—Lilly didn't," Logan reminded him.

"Well, she was a bit messed up, dude. She was sleeping also with your dad," Dick reminded him.

"Thanks for the reminder," Logan said, glaring.

"Hey, you brought her up!" Dick said.

"You should probably invite your lesbian pals to come, too," Logan said.

Dick's eyes lit up. "Totally! I bet they'll love it," he said. He pulled out his phone to call the girls.

Logan figured spending more time with Willow wouldn't be bad—she was his sister's sister and so much nicer than Trina.

***** _Later That Night*****_

Weevil took Buffy to his favorite Mexican restaurant and enjoyed watching her pack away the food.

"You weren't kidding," he said after she finished her dessert.

"I told you that it's expensive feeding me," Buffy said.

"I don't mind," he said. "I think it's hot watching a girl with a big appetite. It gives a guy ideas."

Buffy smirked. "I bet it does," she said.

Weevil worked hard to control his reaction because she was so provocative. Tonight, she'd pulled that massive head of hair she had back into a sleek ponytail. She wore a black skirt that had a slit. When she hiked it up to get on the back of his bike, he had to contain his groan. Of course, the red top she wore just enhanced her features even more. Everything about her was sexy. He wanted her so much, and he had a feeling that she'd be fire in his arms. Luckily, he was happy to go up in flames.

Buffy was enjoying her date. It's been so long since she'd been out on a simple date. Weevil had a dry sense of humor that she found appealing, and he had lived a life of struggle. It made her feel connected to him. Like her, he was a survivor.

"I would really love to go dancing," Buffy said. "Is there a dance club here in Neptune?"

"Not really, but I know of a place about twenty minutes from here. San Diego has several we could check out," Weevil said.

Buffy's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked.

Weevil wasn't much for dancing, but if it made her that excited, he'd give it a try.

He drove her to the Sevilla Nightclub, figuring she'd enjoy the crowd and live music. When she practically quivered with excitement outside the door, he knew he'd made the right choice.

The music was fast and loud, and Buffy dragged him to the dance floor immediately. He realized that he didn't need to do much but sway to the beat as she lost herself in the music. It was a sight to behold—she really loved to dance. He decided that watching her dance was his new favorite thing. They danced for an hour before he dragged her to a table for a drink. Since she wasn't twenty-one either, he just got them sodas.

"I'm not much of a drinker," Buffy said.

"I'm an occasional beer drinker," Weevil said.

"Beer is bad," Buffy said. "It makes Buffy very stupid,"

"That sounds like a story," he said.

"One I will wait a while to tell you," she said.

"I look forward to hearing all your secrets," Weevil said.

"My secrets might give you nightmares," she warned.

"That's okay. I'm a big boy, and I can handle some nightmares," he said.

"Good to know," Buffy said, smiling. She wasn't going to blurt out all her secrets, but it was nice to meet a guy who she thought might actually be able to handle them.

Two hours later, he was pulling up to her house, and she felt a bit tired from the dancing. It had been a spectacular first date. When she stepped off the bike, he started to follow her, but she waved him off.

"My mom will be waiting up since this is my first date in a long time," Buffy said, looking sheepish. "I had a wonderful time."

"So did I," he said.

Buffy grinned and put her hand on his leg, so she could lean up to kiss him.

When she pulled back, Weevil gazed down at her. "You are really good at that," he said.

"You weren't so bad yourself," she said with a smirk. "Thanks for a great first date. Good night."

"Thank you. I had a great time, too. Up for a real driving lesson tomorrow?" he asked.

"How about Sunday?" she suggested.

"I'm free after mass—around one or so," he said.

"I'll be home," she said, giving him a wave. She watched him drive off before walking to her door.

It was around midnight, and her mother was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"I can't believe you're still up," she said, even though she wasn't surprised.

"I had to hear all about your date!" Joyce said eagerly. She patted the spot next to her. "Come sit and tell me all about it. Did you have a great time?"

Buffy grinned. "I had the best time," she said. She told her mom about the evening.

"Are you seeing him again?" Joyce asked, so happy to see her daughter behave like a normal young lady.

Buffy nodded. "Yes, he's going to give me a real lesson on Sunday," she said. "He asked to see me tomorrow, but I've got plans with Logan."

Joyce's looked surprise. "You're going to date _two_ guys?" she asked.

Buffy gave her a saucy grin. "Well, I don't plan on sleeping with both of them, but I don't see why I can't spend time with both. They're both very different, but they want to spend time with me," she said. "And without my slaying duties, I can actually say yes."

Joyce laughed. "That's true," she said, hugging her. "I'm so happy for you, Buffy. This move has been exactly what I hoped it would be."

"How about you tell me all about your dinner with Mr. Mars?" Buffy said, giving her a pointed look.

Joyce blushed. "I don't kiss and tell!" she announced, getting up from the couch.

Buffy's eyes widened. "What? They're were smoochies? I want so need details!" she insisted, trailing after her mother.

It was nice to tease her mother and not worry about robots or demons or a hellmouth. Mr. Mars seemed like a great guy.

Of course, if Mr. Mars hurt her mother, Buffy would totally teach him some manners.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_ So out of all the stories I'm writing, this one is the easiest for me to write once I start the chapter. It will go on for many more chapters, and I hope you make time to review and let me know what you'd like to see! Thanks! _


	8. Summer Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If my research is correct, this timeline is 2004 as season 3 of VM ended then. This is summer after season 3 and summer after season 4 for BTVS.

_ *****The Next Day***** _

Buffy was enjoying her day of sailing and flirting with Logan. He wasn't like any other guy she'd dated, but his wealth reminded her of guys from Los Angeles. However, nothing else about him did.

Dick taught Willow how to dive off the boat while Tara used a life jacket to splash around. At first, she was scared of sharks, but Willow reassured her.

"You know I'd kill any shark that got near you, sweetie," Willow said, giving her a wink.

Tara giggled, reassured and insisted on using the boat's ladder to make it to the water.

Dick caught her, though, and he showed her how to back float. It was easy in the life jacket to gain a bit of confidence, and Dick had her splashing in the water in no time.

However, she refused to try to water ski. Willow tried it once, but she wasn't able to stand up on the skis. They had a lot of fun teasing her about it.

"It wasn't that easy!" she protested.

"I thought it was," Buffy said with a smirk.

Willow glared. "That's just because you're all gifted with the physical stuff, and you know it, missy!" she exclaimed.

Both Dick and Logan took a turn showing off on the skis—fun times were had on the water by all of them.

The girls were very surprised that the captain of the boat had a prepared dinner for them.

"Is this how people with too much money live?" Tara asked as she looked at the table prepared.

"Yep," Dick said, pulling out her chair for her. "So get used to it. My girls will be treated like queens."

Tara and Willow laughed.

Logan rolled his eyes. "You're piling it on a bit thick there, Dick," he said.

"You're just jealous 'cause they like me more!" Dick said with a smirk.

"Well, I'm the one that's actually family as Willow is my sister's sister, which kind of makes her _my_ sister," Logan said smugly. "As big brother, it's my duty to keep her away from unsavory characters like you!"

The girls laughed again, enjoying the mock fight.

"How about we just all get along?" Willow suggested with a grin.

"As long as Dick understands the hierarchy, we'll get along just fine," Logan said pointedly.

Dick snickered but didn't argue further, knowing Logan was mostly just kidding.

Willow was really enjoying being center of attention by boys in a nonsexual compacity for once. However, it did make her miss Xander.

"I'm so glad Xander's going to move to town," she said to Buffy. "We have to help him find an apartment."

"Who's Xander?" Dick asked.

"He's our best guy friend," Willow said. "He and I have been best friends since kindergarten. There was another friend, Jesse, but he's gone." Her sad look made both men not ask Jesse related questions.

"Xander's the best," Buffy said with a beaming smile.

"Did you date him?" Logan asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No, he's not dated either of us—he kissed Willow once when she was into guys, though," Buffy said.

"Really?" Dick asked, interested.

"That was a mistake," Willow said, shuddering as she thought of the ugly fallout.

"Xander is a sweetheart," Tara said. He was always so accepting of her from the beginning.

"He has a serious girlfriend, but Anya doesn't want to move," Buffy said. "I'm not sure if they'll make it or not."

"Even though I've not met him, I can say for sure, they won't make it," Logan said. When Buffy and Willow frown up at him, he continued. "No relationship can withstand a guy moving out of the town his girlfriend lives in so he can be closer to two other girls."

"Hey, it's not like that!" Buffy protested. "The three of us have been through a lot. He saved my life once. Sunnydale is a hell hole that he wanted an excuse to leave more than just to be with us."

"When is he getting to town?" Tara asked.

"He should be here Monday to secure a place," Buffy said. "He's starting his job on campus next week, I think."

"Good," Tara said.

"He's not a student?" Dick asked.

"No, he doesn't like school," Willow said.

"That's understandable," Dick said. "I don't like it much either."

"But it's a necessary evil," Logan said.

"I'm sure Weevil will be able to find him a place he can afford," Buffy said. "Weevil lives in a small complex not far from me."

"Weevil? You're on first name bases with Weevil, a former gang leader?" Dick asked.

"She got on his bike the other night," Logan reminded him.

"I met him when I went with Xander on his job interview," Buffy said. "He said he could teach me to ride a bike since all my friends and my mother have given up on teaching me to drive cars."

"Hey, some of us want to live," Willow said quickly.

"I could teach you," Logan offered.

When even Tara looked unsure, Logan gave the women a puzzled look. "She can't be that bad?"

"Well…" Tara said, not sure how to frame a polite response.

"I'm not!" Buffy said. "I hit one car that stopped too suddenly that _one_ time!"

"Her foot also sticks to the gas pedal and fear for your life suddenly becomes a real thing," Willow said with a smirk.

"All my friends are cowards," Buffy said with a pout.

"Maybe, you just need a car that handles well," Logan said.

"Your car is mammoth," Buffy said.

"Yes, but I do have my mom's smaller car in the garage," Logan said. "We can try that."

"Cool!" Buffy said. "And maybe I'll break down and get my own cell phone."

"I can't believe you don't have a phone," Dick said. "That's just whack!"

"I broke two and decided phones weren't for me," Buffy said. "But Neptune isn't as dangerous as Sunnydale, so maybe I'll do better."

"I've never been to Sunnydale," Logan said.

"Me either," Dick said.

"Let's keep it that way," Buffy said. Willow and Tara nodded in agreement.

Logan thought it was odd that all three women looked very grim at her words.

***** _A Week Later*****_

Buffy was humming as she sat at the breakfast table. The week had been fabulous. In fact, Buffy was hard pressed to remember the last time that she had so many days in a row go so well. After her boating time with Logan, Dick had taken Willow and Tara home while Logan took Buffy. She had allowed him to kiss her goodnight, grinning up at him afterward.

"You are very good at that," she said.

"I've had some practice," he said modestly.

"I can tell," she said with a wink.

She had enjoyed that fact that Logan didn't push her but allowed her to kiss him and then hop out of his car.

The next day, Weevil had let her ride his bike. First, he was on it and let her steer the bike. He gave her many tips while she drove around the campus parking lot, getting comfortable. Eventually, he let her go onto the empty streets around campus—Sundays were a desert on campus. When she felt ready, she was allowed to drive solo in the parking lot. She wasn't ready to go onto the streets by herself.

"I knew you could do it," Weevil said with a grin.

"It's not so bad without any cars to avoid," Buffy said with a rueful smile.

"Next time, we'll go out on the open highway, so you don't have to stop all the time. That's the best way to get a good feel for it," Weevil said.

They'd had coffee and muffins afterward.

She'd spent Monday helping her mom organize her shop.

Keith Mars had taken them both to lunch, and Buffy was very smitten with her mother's new beau. He was witty and clever, and he clearly liked her mother. Buffy couldn't remember the last time her mother had seemed so carefree and happy.

"When Mac gets back from her camping trip, I'll ask her if she can tweak your website," Keith said. "She's very gifted and did wonders for my own."

"I think she comes back this weekend sometime," Buffy said. "She said two weeks."

Keith nodded and pulled up his site on his cell to show her mother what Mac did.

Xander stopped by after they returned to lunch, and both Summer women were happy to see him.

Turns out that Weevil's building did have a place open as it came with free rent if he would agree to be the building's handy man. Weevils criminal history wouldn't allow him to do it. Xander had been beyond thrilled to not have to worry about making rent.

"Not only can I treat myself to actual cable, but I can get a movie channel or two!" Xander had declared with an excited grin.

When Keith had found out that Xander did have some real skill, he asked Xander to look at his shower that didn't keep pressure or heat.

"Our maintenance man is really lazy," he said. "It's taken a lot for me to keep Veronica from pulling out her taser on the guy."

Buffy had found out that Veronica, Keith's daughter wasn't scheduled to return home until August fifteenth. She was looking forward to meeting the girl that everyone spoke about with such awe and admiration. Even Dick, who admitted to not liking her, seemed to hold her in some high regard. Since she didn't use her fists like Buffy, Buffy was very intrigued.

She'd spent the rest of the weekdays helping Xander move into his new place and going shopping with him for things he needed. Willow and Tara also had enjoyed dragging him to various places they'd discovered. He'd went from his parents' basement to finally having his own place, so it was a big deal for him. Xander enjoyed having all the attention and settling into his new apartment.

Of course, he was just happy to be back with his girls even if he felt a stab of pain at the loss of Anya's esteem over the move.

Buffy also spent time with Weevil as he lived in the same building with Xander. Xander and Weevil were already fast friends, bonding over a love of muscle cars.

She had gone to the movies last night with Logan, and they went to dinner beforehand. During the appetizer, she'd admitted that she'd not been to a movie theatre in years, and his eyes had been wide in disbelief.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"There wasn't a movie place in Sunnydale, and we usually spent our down time dancing at this club in town called the Bronze," she admitted. "We'd watch movies at each other's houses, though."

"Okay, that settles it," Logan said. "We are going to the movies after dinner." He pulled out his phone to see what was playing.

"I'm game," Buffy said.

"We have a new Harry Potter movie," Logan said.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

"Seriously?" Logan asked in surprise. "It's based on the books where Harry Potter is a wizard, and he goes to magic school."

"Really? That seems kind of fun," she said.

"But you've missed out on the first two," Logan said. " _The Notebook_ is a romantic drama. _Troy_ is ancient action. Or _Mean Girls_ —that looks like a high school comedy of some kind."

"Well, a romantic movie could be fun, but if it makes you cry, I'm not sure I will look at you the same," Buffy said with a smirk.

"Then we are definitely saying no to _The Notebook_ ," Logan said. " _Mean Girls_ it is."

The two of them enjoyed the movie immensely and had a spirited conversation afterward, sharing how freakishly accurate the move was in some respects to their own experiences at high school.

Eventually, he took her home and walked her to her door.

"That was fun," Buffy said, smiling up at him.

"Yes, it was," Logan said. "It's easy being with you."

"I kind of feel the same," Buffy said.

Logan smiled. "Good night, Buffy," he told her, placing another soft kiss on her lips before walking away.

Thinking about her night, kept her singing the next morning as she poured milk into cereal.

Joyce came into the kitchen. "Good morning, sweetie," she said.

"Good morning," Buffy said.

"Did you want eggs? I can cook you something," Joyce said.

"No, that's okay," Buffy said. "I'm going to Xander's in another hour. He'll feed me again."

Joyce laughed. "I'm so glad he's here with us," she said.

"Me, too," she replied. "He said he's doing brunch—Weevil's helping him. Tara and Willow are coming over."

"That sounds fun," Joyce said. She opened up a kitchen drawer and then turned back to Buffy. "I got you something."

"You did?" Buffy asked, surprised.

"Here's a new cell phone," Joyce said.

Buffy's eyes lit up. "Awesome! Thanks, Mom!" she said, getting up and hugging her.

"The number is inside the box. It's already turned on," Joyce said. "Now you can be reached at any time."

"Oh, so that's what this was about," Buffy said with a grin.

"Of course," Joyce said. "Keith told me that I can track your location with it if I want."

Buffy laughed. "Well, then, I'm glad you'll always be able to find me if I get lost!"

Joyce stroked Buffy's hair. "This is a good move, and I love that you're doing normal things with normal friends," Joyce said. "Having a cell phone is what other kids your age have."

"And soon, I'll have a license!" Buffy said. "Logan's going to let me drive his mom's car this afternoon."

"His dead mother's car?" Joyce asked in alarm. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Mom!" Buffy said. "I'm not going to wreck it! I'm going to drive around campus where there's hardly anyone. That's what Weevil had me do, and it helped a lot."

"Learning how to avoid accidents with other drivers is the biggest part of being a good driving, Buffy," Joyce said.

"Yes, I know, Mom," Buffy replied. "Baby steps."

"You should call your friends and give them your new number," Joyce suggested.

"Good idea," Buffy said. She called Willow first. Then she said, "I wonder if Mac is back."

"Your new friend that's the same major as Willow?" Joyce asked.

"Yes, she's a computer gal," Buffy said. "I have to go find her number." She went to her room and found it on her dresser.

Mac answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mac. This is Buffy. You gave me your number before your trip," Buffy said.

"Yes, I remember," Mac said. "How's your summer going?"

"Amazing. How was the trip?" Buffy asked.

"I survived," Mac said.

"I finally got a cell phone, so this is my new number," Buffy said.

"Great. I'll save it," Mac said.

"Are you busy this morning?" Buffy said. "I'm having brunch at a friend's, and Willow and Tara will be there. We'd love to have you join us."

"Sure," Mac said. "Just text me the address."

"I will," Buffy said. "See you soon." She hung up and then sent Mac the address to Xander's.

An hour later, she was having a good time with her friends, impressed with Xander's quiche.

"I can't believe you know how to make a quiche!" Buffy said.

"I watched a cooking show on my fancy new cable channels," Xander said smugly.

"It's good," Mac said, giving him a dimpled smile.

"You have a dimple! That's so cute!" Xander said. "None of the girls have dimples."

"So what's that supposed to mean?" Willow asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing! Just an observation," Xander said quickly.

Weevil snickered. "Be careful, man. We are greatly outnumbered," he said.

"I've been outnumbered for years," Xander said. "I'm used to it."

Mac enjoyed watching her new friends interact, finding it highly amusing that Weevil seemed so at ease with them.

_ *****Fourth of July***** _

A month in her new town, and Buffy was surrounded by new friends, playing an intense game of beach volleyball. It was her, Weevil, Mac, and Xander against Logan, Dick, Willow and Tara.

How Weevil got talked into spending time with two men he detested was due to Buffy's influence. She'd been dating both Weevil and Logan, and the two were aware of it. However, she hadn't slept with either as she was just enjoying having fun and getting to know them both. Weevil hung out with her more as he and Xander were becoming good friends. Neither Xander nor Buffy was sharing their dark hellmouth history with the former gang leader, though. They liked having a friend who knew them without any tragedy marring his opinion.

This was the first time, though, that Logan and Weevil had crossed paths.

Willow and Tara both wanted to spend the Fourth with Dick and Logan as Xander had only got to hang out with them once. Xander wasn't sure what to think about the couple's friendship with Dick even though he understood Willow wanting to know Logan since he was the brother of her bio-sister. The guys seemed nice enough, though, so he was happy to hang with them on his favorite holiday. Xander had figured a bit of friendly competition would break the ice and suggested the game of volleyball almost immediately.

Both Logan and Weevil found it really hard to say no to Buffy as she was so joyful and enthusiastic about everything. It was like she'd been kept from having fun for a long time and was experiencing things for the first time. Neither man was prepared to cause her to frown even if they didn't like that she seemed to be attracted to both of them.

Wallace Fennel was taking his brother Darrel to the beach when he spotted some familiar faces. Mac was playing volleyball with Weevil. He blinked—not sure he was seeing everything right. He saw some people he didn't know, but then he recognized Logan and Dick.

Weevil was playing a game of volleyball with Logan Echolls and Dick Casablanca.

It must be the end of the world.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_ I decided to push time a bit, so we can get through the summer and the return of Veronica. We're closer! Review if you'd be so kind. Thanks! _


	9. Got the Boot

***** _Where We Left Off*****_

Wallace approached the group playing volleyball and couldn't resist calling out, "Am I hallucinating or is that Weevil playing a game of volleyball with Logan and Dick?"

Everyone paused in the game—Buffy was about to serve—and looked at the new arrival.

"Mac? You do physical activity?" Wallace asked with a grin.

"Volleyball is barely physical," Mac said. "I just stand here and hit a ball if it comes my way."

"So who's your new friends?" Wallace asked.

"This is Buffy Summers," Mac introduced.

Buffy smiled at the newcomer. "Hello," she said.

"She and her friends just moved here. That's Willow and Tara. Willow's a computer girl like me," Mac introduced.

"Willow's also the bio sister of my sister Trina," Logan added.

Wallace's eyes widened as he realized why she looked so familiar. "Cool," he said. "I'm Wallace Fennel. This is my little brother Darrel."

"I'm Xander," Xander said, extending his hand to Wallace. "Do you want to play?"

"He's athletic, so he can't be on Buffy's team," Mac said. She, Logan, Dick, and Xander were on a team while Buffy had Tara, Willow and Weevil.

"He can if he wants to!" Buffy insisted.

"No!" each member of the opposing team said.

"Buffy's freakishly gifted in anything physical," Willow explained. "It's already ten to one."

Logan still couldn't believe how gifted the woman was in pretty much thing physical they did. Skiing and now volleyball—she was something to behold.

"Well, then, you guys can have Darrel, and I'll join you," Wallace said.

"All right! Now we have Wally-world, so we might have a fighting chance," Dick said happily.

Buffy served, and the ball went back and forth several times until Tara knocked into Willow, who caused Buffy to miss the return.

"Yes!" Dick exclaimed. "Now, it’s game on!"

They handed the ball to Wallace, who served just inside the boundary on the other side where Willow was standing. She didn't get her hands up in time, and a point was lost.

The game went on another hour, and the score was five to fifteen.

Mac, though, had enough. "Okay. This is more exercise than I get in a month! I'm done," she said.

"What? We totally almost have them!" Dick said, not wanting to quit.

"I don't know what world you're in, Dick, but we managed only four more points in an hour," Mac said.

"I agree. We won," Buffy said, looking smug.

"They're right, Dick," Logan said. "We were never going to beat Buffy."

"Hey, it was a team effort!" Willow insisted.

"That's right," Tara said, smiling.

Weevil snorted. Buffy was definitely an incredible athlete.

"Next time, we have gotta try basketball," Wallace said.

Dick's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Buffy's so short that we're bound to have some advantage," he said.

"Because Wallace is so tall," Logan said with a smirk.

"I'm tall enough to have basketball scholarship," he pointed out.

"That's right. Height can't replace speed or agility," Buffy said.

"I need something to drink," Willow said.

They went back to their set up and had some drinks, talking companionably.

Wallace sat down next to Mac while Darrel tried to convince Dick to let Darrel bury him in the stand.

Buffy was chatting a mile a minute with Xander, Weevil, and Logan with Willow interjecting some comments.

"The new girl is something else," Wallace said.

"How was Africa?" Mac asked.

"Amazing," he said. "I'll have to come by and show you my pictures. It was so incredible."

"If you're trying to figure out which guy she's into, I'll save you the trouble," Mac said. "She is best friend's with Xander, who grew up with Willow as his best friend. Tara is Willow's girlfriend, and Buffy is dating both Logan and Weevil."

Wallace's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? And the guys both know and haven't come to blows?" he asked.

"She said she's not sleeping with both of them—just enjoying getting to know them," Mac said.

"I take it she's the opposite of our other short blonde friend?" Wallace asked in amusement. "You have to sign your name in blood to get that much information out of Veronica."

Mac grinned. "Very true," she said. "Sometimes, she reminds me a bit of Veronica as she's got so much energy. The first time I met was at a clothing boutique. I found out that she'd walked the five miles there and thought it wasn't a big deal. She loves shopping, but she's not at all like the 09er girls here. Buffy's not exactly like anyone—she doesn't even own a cell phone or rather didn't when I first met her. She got one just this week."

Wallace shook his head. "She's so animated," he said. "I can see why the guys like her. But I don't get how she's managed to make Logan and Weevil spend time together—not even V could do that."

"It's hard to explain," Mac said. "Xander lives in Weevil's building and works with him. Xander is a really good guy. Kind of like you—comfortable with the ladies."

"It takes a special kind of guy to have a girl for a best friend," Wallace said with a cocking wink.

Mac grinned. "Buffy just has this way about her. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I do know that she can kick both their asses as she's an expert in martial arts," Mac shared.

"You're joking," Wallace said.

"Joking about what?" Xander asked, moving to sit down. "Buffy has convinced the guys to now go surfing." The trio of Dick, Logan, and Buffy were walking to Dick's truck. Weevil sat down on the other side of Xander.

"I was telling Mac how Buffy can kick your guys' butts, so that’s why Weevil and Logan are getting along," Mac said.

Xander laughed. "She's not lying. Buffy's a badass all the way," Xander said.

"I find that really hard to believe," Wallace said.

"Well, Logan and Dick saw it firsthand when Gorya's Russian friends tried to jump him in on the beach a few weeks ago," Mac said. "Buffy kicked some ass."

"She's all about the ass kicking," Xander said.

"Wallace, I wanna go swimming," Darrel said, growing bored with the sand since no one would let him bury them.

"Knock yourself out," Wallace said.

"I'm hot. I think I'll join you," Tara said, taking of her t-shirt.

Wallace blinked—the girl was very well-endowed. Her one-piece bathing suit didn't hide that fact.

"She only likes girls," Xander said, catching Wallace checking out Tara.

"Who only likes girls?" Willow asked, joining them.

Wallace was very uncomfortable as he realized the position that he was in. He gave Xander a beseeching look, hoping that he wouldn't say anything.

"Tara," Xander said. "Wallace here was checking out your girl."

"No, I wasn't," Wallace said quickly. He gave Xander a glare. Of course, Xander just grinned, unconcerned.

"Hey, it's okay," Willow said, grinning proudly. "My girl's hot, but she only likes girls."

"That's cool," Wallace said. He considered joining his brother swimming just to get out of the awkward conversation, but that'd be worse. It would look like he was trying to get close to Tara.

Weevil saved him by asking, "So have you talked to V? How's the FBI think going?"

"I've gotten some emails from her mostly," Wallace said. "She's learning a lot she says. I think she's been in trouble at least once, though, for not following the rules.

Weevil smirked. "That's not a surprise," he said. "She loves to break the rules."

"Then a career in the FBI might not be the best fit for her," Xander said. "They love the rules the way a cop loves his donuts."

"Did you guys tell Fennell that Buffy's mom's dating the Sherriff?" Weevil asked.

Xander and Willow both looked confused while Wallace looked surprise.

"Joyce isn't dating the sheriff," Willow said.

"She's dating the P.I. guy," Xander said.

"Keith Mars was sheriff a long time," Weevil said. "That's how many of think of him still."

"So Buffy's mom is dating Veronica's dad?" Wallace asked. "Does Veronica know?"

"I don't think that's something Mr. Mars would say over the phone," Mac said. "Should we tell her?"

Wallace shook his head. "No way. It was bad enough when he dated my mom," Wallace said. "There's no way I wanna be in the middle of that. Veronica doesn't like to share."

"She's possessive of her dad?" Willow wondered.

"More like protective," Mac said. "She's an only child."

"Keith did jump through a real fire to save her from Logan's psycho father," Wallace said. "He's like a real-life hero—her hero."

"That'd be cool to have a dad like that," Xander said. "My dad wouldn't jump through water to save me. He might throw me a life preserver if one was in plain sight."

Weevil grinned. Then glanced out at the water. Buffy was surfing with Logan, and he really didn't like it. However, she was both warm and elusive as water. Just when he thought they were growing closer, she'd pull back before things got too serious.

Now on a major holiday, she was forcing him to spend time with Echolls, too. Why was he still here?

He got up. "Okay, well, it's time for me to go," he said.

"Already?" Xander asked.

"I played volleyball for two hours with two guys I loathe," Weevil said.

"That's true," Wallace said with a smirk.

"What about Buffy? Don't you want to say goodbye to her?" Willow asked.

"I'll call her later," he said easily. He wasn't sure that was true, but it made his escape easier. "My family is having a big celebration, and I promised my abuela that I'd stop by."

"Okay," Xander said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You making breakfast?" Weevil asked with interest.

"Probably," Xander said. "It is the most important meal of the day!"

"So are you two a couple now or what?" Wallace teased.

"Hey, for his quiche, I'd consider it," Weevil said with a wink as he headed to his motorcycle, Xander's laughter ringing in his ears.

Wallace couldn't help but notice Buffy's frown when she was told that Weevil left without saying goodbye. However, she didn't see too upset and enjoyed herself with Logan and her friends. Wallace wasn't sure what to think, but he couldn't help but like the friendly blonde.

***** _The Next Day*****_

Keith was in his office, whistling while he typed up notes. He couldn't believe how well his summer was going. He had lunch nearly every day with his new work neighbor, and Joyce had gone out to dinner with him about six times. Last night, though, he'd convince her to stay the night since Buffy was staying with her friends on campus. Their first time together had been everything he had hoped it would be.

Joyce hadn't had any serious relationships since her divorce several years ago, but he knew this was more than a fling.

His office door opened, and he looked up.

"Veronica?" he said in surprise, standing up. "What are you doing home?"

Veronica looked sheepish as she said, "Would you believe I was homesick?"

"Not even a little bit," Keith said. Then he went over to hug her. "I'm very happy to see you. I missed you like crazy."

Veronica returned the hug, holding on a bit longer than normal, so Keith knew something bad had happened.

Then she sat down in the chair, so he sat back down in his and waited for her to explain.

"I got the boot," Veronica admitted.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. What happened?" he asked.

"What didn't?" Veronica said. "I don't work well with others. The definition of team escapes me. I don't follow the rules or try to go by the book. Basically, I am not cut out for any type of police work, especially not the FBI."

Keith winced. "They said that?" he asked.

"That's just the cliff notes," Veronica admitted. "They told me on the third, but it was too expensive to fly back yesterday."

"Well, it's good that you know before you get much further in your education," Keith said.

"I suppose," Veronica said. "I just feel like such a failure. I wanted it so much, and it was within my grasp."

"You know regular police work isn't nearly as restrictive as federal," Keith said. "Or you can think about the law."

"Go to law school?" Veronica asked.

"I could really see you as a district attorney—going after the bad guy," he said.

"Or a defense attorney defending the little guy," she countered, smiling.

The door opened to his office. "Keith, I just sold a painting!" Joyce said excitedly. Then she realized he wasn't alone. "Oh, I'm so sorry for barging in!"

Veronica looked at the woman with interest. "It's okay. I don't mind," she said.

Keith stood and surprised Veronica when he placed a light kiss on the woman's lips. "Congratulations, honey," he said. "Joyce, this is my daughter Veronica. Veronica, this is Joyce Summers—my special lady friend."

"She's so lovely, Keith," Joyce said, giving Veronica a warm smile. She held out her hand to Veronica, who stood and shook it.

"Thanks," Veronica said. "So how did you two kids meet."

"I moved to town and opened an art gallery next door," Joyce said.

"Really? That's great," Veronica said. "An art gallery is just the thing that place needed."

"It's gotten us some new foot traffic," Keith said with a grin.

"I thought you weren't coming home until next month?" Joyce asked.

"That was the plan, but the FBI and I decided to part ways," Veronica said with a careless grin. Was she happy about this new woman in her father's life? She seemed nice enough—owned her own business.

Her genuine display of compassion, though, convinced Veronica that she was at least a compassionate person.

"I am so sorry to hear that," Joyce said. "My daughter's been kicked out of school more than once for things that weren't necessarily her fault."

"Really? If something happens once, it's an accident, but if it's twice, that's a pattern of behavior," Veronica pointed out.

Instead of getting offended, Joyce laughed. "Yes, that's true in some cases," Joyce said. "Buffy does have issues with authority."

"Sounds like another girl I know and adore," Keith said, giving his daughter a fond smile.

"Buffy is your daughter's name?" Veronica asked.

"Yes," Joyce said. "I have a daughter who is your age, and she's going to be a sophomore at Hearst."

Veronica wasn't sure how she felt about sharing her father with a woman, who had a kid her age, and she was suddenly interested in getting to know her dad's new girlfriend.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_ Yep, I decided to bring Veronica back early. Also, since she did go to law school in the movie, I figured that either the FBI summer thing didn't happen, or she crashed and burned during it. Kudos are super nice but comments are even better! _


	10. They Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you are a MaDi shipper, I hope you won't be too upset if I don't put them together in this story. I think it's a waste to do a crossover and keep couples all the same. My other straight VM stories have plenty of MaDi, though. I will eventually start posting them over on this site as I go through and edit them. I have about 10 straight Veronica Mars stories.

_ ******Still July 5th***** _

Buffy woke up after the Fourth feeling good. She'd stayed at Mac's place because everyone had come to her house after dark for fireworks. Her dad had already bought a lot, but Logan and Dick brought over even more. Mac's mother seemed much more excited than Mac to have them there. Mac's brother Ryan hit it off with Darrel and loved all the fireworks. Mac's mother insisted that Wallace call his mom, so Buffy got to meet Alicia. She didn't invite her mother since she knew her mom had a romantic evening planned with Keith, who Mac said had dated Alicia for a time.

It bothered Buffy that Weevil had bailed on them, but Mac pointed out that he'd willingly spent time with Logan and Dick for her. She couldn't really be mad, and she probably should focus on just one of the guys. However, it was so nice to just have fun and not think of the end of the world and death and monsters. Buffy felt like she'd been in prison and was experiencing freedom for the first time.

Logan was sweet and fun. Last night, he'd made her laugh a lot. His best friend Dick was kind of a hoot, and Xander seemed to get along with all of them very well. Logan had been affectionate but not pushy, which Buffy had appreciated. When it was time to go, she'd walked him to Dick's truck and ignored Dick while she kissed Logan goodnight. Dick's catcall and whistling didn't spoil the moment, but she had laughed when Logan had punched him in the arm.

Xander told her that Wallace was not a typical jock, which was his way of saying he liked the guy. Buffy could see that they'd bonded over having girls for their closest friends. Xander had joked about he'd made four male friends in a week, which was more than he'd made in four years of high school.

Dick seemed to be getting really close to Tara and Willow—much to Buffy's amusement. Today, though, Buffy wasn't planning on seeing Willow and Tara as she was going to go to Xander's for breakfast and talk to Weevil. She'd called him and gotten his voicemail. Although she left him a message, she didn't hear back from him. 

Mac's mom told her to help herself to the shower, so Buffy did just that. When she was dressed, she went back in Mac's room to grab her things.

Mac opened her eyes. "How can you be up already? We didn't get to bed until two," she grumbled. "What time is it?"

"It's nine," Buffy said. "I've got to get to Xander's 'cause he's making quiche, and I want to speak to Weevil."

Mac sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "You think Weevil's mad?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Buffy said. "I just went surfing with Logan and Dick—it wasn't like I was making out with him or anything."

"I've never dated two guys, but I watched Veronica try to juggle Logan and Duncan in high school and then Logan and Piz," Mac said. "Technically, she wasn't dating both at the same time, but she always had feelings for Logan even when they weren't together—same for him. It wasn't fun to watch."

"Well, that's because she was in love with Logan but dating Duncan," Buffy said.

"Why do you say that?" Mac asked.

"'Cause if she was in love with Duncan and not Logan, she wouldn't have gone back with him after Duncan," Buffy said. "Logan's still in love with her now—that's why I'm taking things slow with him."

"Really?" Mac said, surprised. "Did he tell you that?"

"Not in so many words, but I can tell," Buffy said. "He gets this look on his face whenever her name comes up. Plus, he seems entirely too willing for us to take our time. If he was really wanting to date me seriously, I just can't see him putting up with me dating Weevil."

"Those are great points," Mac said. "I'm glad you're being careful because I don't want to see any of my friends getting hurt."

"So I'm going to talk to Weevil, and I hope he's not too mad," Buffy said.

"What if he says he doesn't want to share you with Logan?" Mac asked.

"It's not like I'm sleeping with either of them," Buffy said. "If Weevil's wanting to throw down ultimatums, then I don't know what I'll do. I like him a lot, but I just like having fun for now. I'm not ready for more."

Mac nodded and hoped Weevil would be patient with Buffy, but at the same time, she kind of liked Buffy with Logan. If Veronica wasn't going to date him, he deserved a great girl like Buffy.

"Do you need a ride?" Mac asked. "Give me ten minutes."

"Nah," Buffy said, waving her off. "If I don't get a run in, I'll go nuts. Way too much energy."

"You're insane but okay," Mac said, smiling. "I'll catch you later."

"Thanks for letting me stay over. It was fun," Buffy said.

"Yes, it was," Mac said. She watched Buffy leave and shook her head. The girl's high energy made Mac tired, but she also really liked the girl and hoped that Veronica would like her when she got back.

***** _Xander's******_

Buffy slowed to a walk about a block from the apartment even though she wasn't even out of breath as it was just six blocks away. But she took the opportunity to smooth down her hair that she'd thrown into a ponytail.

When she made it to Xander's, Weevil was approaching from the other end of the hall.

Buffy waved. "Hey," she said.

Weevil smiled and said, "Good morning."

"So what happened to you last night? I called you," Buffy said.

"Yea, I'm sorry," Weevil said. "I went to my grandmother's—a family thing."

"Is that it?" Buffy asked, frowning. "Are you upset with me?"

"No. Why would I be?" he asked.

"Because I forced you to hang out with Logan and Dick," Buffy said.

"You didn't force me to do anything," Weevil said. "If I didn't want to go, I wouldn't have."

"Did it bother you that I went surfing with them?" she asked.

Weevil was silent a moment before answering. "I'm not sure what to say," he said. "I don't like either guys, but I know Echolls isn't that bad. He beat up a guy for V and saved her life when Dick's brother tried to kill her. He also saved her from a campus rapist, so he's okay. But he and I both dated Lilly Kane, and there's some bad blood between us."

Buffy winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said. She'd heard a lot about the gruesome death that Logan's father was behind. Willow had told her all about it, and it just reinforced her instinct to take things slow with both men. They've been through too much.

"It's fine," Weevil said, stepping closer. He reached for her hand. "I do like you—a lot, and it's not easy to see you with Echolls, but I didn't like to see V with him either. I don't want to push you."

"That's good because I don't want to be pushed," Buffy said. "But I also don't want to hurt you or lead you on. I'm pretty sure Logan isn't ready for a serious relationship, and maybe you are. It's just that I'm not, Weev. I've had such bad luck with men, and I'm a bit gun shy. Life in Sunnydale was hard and being here is like coming out of the dark and stepping into happy sunshine."

"I'm not surprised since that place is on a hellmouth," Weevil said.

Buffy gave him a shocked look, but Xander's front door opened before she could respond.

"Are you guys coming in or what?" he asked.

They stepped inside, and Buffy looked at Xander and said, "Weevil was just telling me how we lived on a hellmouth in Sunnydale. Did you know that?"

"I always said that place was hell," Xander said with a smirk.

"I didn't realize you knew about those kinds of things," Buffy said carefully. She wasn't ready to tell about her secret identity, but it was good that Weevil knew about the hellmouth.

"I told you my cousin lived there. He said that his grandma told him about vampires and demons, but he thought it was a joke until he saw a vampire up close," Weevil said.

"If you spent time after dark in Sunnyhell, you were gonna run into one or ten," Xander said. "The first vampire I ever had to stake was my best friend Jesse. He got turned Buffy's first week our sophomore year."

Weevil winced. "That sucks," he said.

Buffy didn't say anything as she wasn't ready to talk about Sunnydale—not with Weevil, not yet. "So is breakfast ready?" Buffy asked, flashing Xander a bright smile.

"Yep," Xander said. "You can set the table."

Buffy eagerly headed to the cabinet. She loved breakfast with Xander, and she wondered why they never did it back in Sunnydale. Of course, he didn't have his own place then, and her mom was at her house, so he wouldn't think to make breakfast. Neptune was a great choice for all of them, and she was especially grateful that Xander made the move.

"I'm so glad you decided to come with us to Neptune, Xan," Buffy said as she put the plates on the table. "I love our new tradition."

Xander grinned. "You just love getting fed," he said.

"Well, of course, but I like that this is something we can do together," Buffy said. "I wish Giles was here, though. I really miss him."

"Maybe we can get him to visit before classes start," Xander said.

"Who's Giles?" Weevil asked.

"He was our high school librarian," Xander said. "We spent a lot of time in the library with him."

Weevil gave them both a puzzled look. "Neither one of you strike me as being very bookish," he said.

"Oh, we weren't," Buffy said. "But Giles just had this way about him."

Xander looked at Weevil, sensing Buffy didn't want to share any Sunnydale tales with Weevil. "You disappeared last night on us. Did you have fun with your family?" he asked, changing the topic entirely.

Weevil nodded. "Yeah," he said. "How things go with you guys?"

"So fun. We did fireworks at Mac's. Her parents are really cool. Wallace's mom came, too," Buffy said.

"That's good," Weevil said. He was glad things were good between them again because he wasn't sure he was ready to lose her even if he didn't really have her yet. Still, it was strange that they all lived on a hellmouth, but Buffy didn't have any tales to tell.

***** _Several Hours Later*****_

Veronica went home and unpacked, not sure how she felt about being back in Neptune. She'd toyed with transferring, but she wasn't sure that'd improve things. Her first year at Hearst had been pretty horrific, and she was on the list at Stanford. However, if she transferred, she still had to come up with funding. Student loans were an option, but she was hoping a scholarship might pan out. Of course, her friends and father would be disappointed if she moved, but she had to do what was best for her. Maybe, she'd give Hearst another year. The last two years were the most important anyway.

She sent Wallace and Mac texts letting her know she was back in town, but she didn't pick up when they called to talk to her. It was embarrassing to have failed so magnificently. Hoping for a distraction, she decided to take Back Up for a walk on the beach. The beach was definitely something she missed while on the East coast.

After walking about ten minutes, she saw some kids flying kites and smiled. However, as she got closer, she realized they weren't children. In fact, she recognized one of them and moved closer.

"Weevil? Is that you?" she asked, waving. He was arguing with some guy Veronica didn't know while another girl flew a kite next to them, smirking.

"V?" Weevil asked in surprise. "What are you doing back in town?"

"Well, you know me—I'm full of surprises," she said. She glanced at the two people she didn't know. "I'm surprised to see you with new faces. Did you go and make some new friends while I was gone?"

"It's bound to happen sometime," Weevil said with a grin. "This is Buffy Summers and her best friend Xander. He works with me and lives in my building. Buffy's going to be attending Hearst. They just moved here from Neptune."

Veronica looked at the blonde with interest. "I believe I met your mother earlier today—Joyce?"

Buffy smiled and nodded. "That's my mom. She and your dad have gotten chummy—he's super nice. Mom hasn't dated anyone seriously since my parent's divorce four years ago," she shared.

"My dad is the best dad, but he does get around," Veronica said easily. "He was still technically married to my mom when he dated Alicia, my best friend's mom."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "So what exactly are you trying to say? If your dad is toying with my mom, I'll kick his ass," she said.

"Take it easy, Buffy," Weevil said, looking too concerned, which confused Veronica.

Surely, the girl was just making an empty threat.

"She just told me that her dad is a player," Buffy said to Weevil, clearly upset. She began pulling her kite in and twining it up with quick motions.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Xander said, giving Veronica a hopeful look.

"My dad isn't a player per say," Veronica said slowly. "I mean he did date this married woman once, but when I expressed my displeasure, he broke it off. He hasn't dated anyone in a while."

Buffy's mouth fell open in outrage. "I might have to hurt him," she said, turning and walking away her friend trailing after her.

"What the hell, Veronica?" Weevil asked in annoyance. "Aren't you a little old to be acting so jealous and possessive of your dad?"

"I'm not either of those things!" Veronica insisted.

"Oh, yea? Well, we both know your dad is a class act, and you just made out like he was a bad bet," Weevil said.

"I didn't lie about either things," she said defensively.

"Well, you certainly turned things to make your dad look bad," Weevil said. "You know Buffy isn't just another hot blonde—she's got, like, a black belt in martial arts. When she threatens to kick a guy's ass, she's probably not exaggerating."

"You're joking!"

Weevil shook his head. "Nope. I'm not. The girl is a natural athlete, and she's already fought off Russian thugs, who tried to beat up your ex, Logan. You better hope she doesn't lose her head with your dad," Weevil said. "She and her mom are close like you and your dad."

"What are you doing flying kites with her?" Veronica asked. "It wasn't something I'd figure you'd ever do."

"Buffy's hard to say no to," Weevil muttered. "We've been dating all summer, and she's an amazing woman. You two have a lot in common. Xander has been in town just a few weeks, but we have already become friends. He cooks breakfast for us a lot—even your friend Mac's been at his place."

Veronica wasn't sure how to take all these new things Weevil was sharing, but she had a feeling that her world wasn't going to be the same.

"I guess I better go rescue my dad," Veronica said with a sigh.

"You might wanna warn him," Weevil said, winding up his kite.

When Veronica got a look at the kite, she snickered. "The Power Rangers? Seriously?"

Weevil glared. "Shut up! Xander picked it out. Didn't you see Buffy's pink Ranger? Xander insisted on red. It's his kite! I was just helping him since he had no idea what he was doing."

Veronica laughed again. "Sure, Weevil. I believe you," she said, before waving him off.

Weevil, though, didn't think she'd be laughing for long.

**** _*Chapter End******_

_ Anyone enjoying this story? I haven't gotten much feedback! Take a minute to type a comment or hit kudos. _


	11. Veronica's New Reality

_*****A Bit Later Same Day*****_

Buffy made Xander drive her to her mother’s art gallery. “Are you going to talk to your mom?” Xander ask as he turned off the car.

“Nope,” she said. Then she got out of the car and went straight to Mr. Mar’s office. Since it was a business, she didn’t knock but opened the door.

Keith looked up when he heard the door. “Buffy? Hello. Is your mother okay?” he asked, not able to think of another reason why she would be there.

“She is, and she better stay that way,” Buffy said, glaring at him.

Keith could see that she was really angry, and he held up his hands in surrender. “Please, don’t worry. I would never do anything to hurt your mother,” he said.

“Oh really?” she asked, arching her eyebrow. “I just had a little chat with your daughter, Veronica. She tells me that you are basically a man-slut. I’ve had an experience with a man-slut before, and I will not tolerate a man-slut toying with my mother! Bones will break, and your little man-slut tool will hurt for weeks once I’m done!”

Keith warred with several emotions at once. He was shocked that his own daughter would in anyway imply he was a man-slut. Hearing the phrase man-slut in reference to him, however, made him want to laugh. Concern, though, that Joyce’s very capable daughter might cause him bodily harm was a bit high.

“Buffy, I can’t imagine that my daughter would call me a man-slut,” he said. “I assure you, though, it’s not true.”

Xander had went to Joyce and let her know what was going on, so she came into the room as this point. “Buffy, what’s going on?” she asked.

“Mom, I ran into Keith’s daughter on the beach,” Buffy said. “Talk about not living up to the hype. But she did tell me that her dad was a player. The word man-slut was my own.”

“Now, Buffy, I can’t believe you would attack Keith like this,” Joyce said, giving her a look of disapproval.

“You are my mother,” Buffy said, crossing her arms and looking stubborn. “No Lothario is going to come along and seduce you and then break your heart because he gets bored and needs a new conquest.”

“I would never do that!” Keith assured them.

Buffy moved closer to him. “My mother is a wonderful, caring, intelligent, and skilled woman. She is a lot more trusting than I am,” Buffy said, glaring. “She doesn’t always see when a guy might be a scumbag, but I do. If your own daughter is warning me about your behavior with women, what does that say about you?”

“Honestly, I can’t fathom why Veronica would say such a thing,” Keith said. “But she is an only child, and she doesn’t always handle change well.”

“If you don’t think you can be serious and faithful about my mother, then you better tell us now,” Buffy said, clenching her fist. “Or I can knock your teeth in right now and make sure you remember to treat her right!”

“Buffy!” Joyce exclaimed in dismay. “You will _not_ threaten to hurt Keith.”

At that moment, Veronica had arrived. Predictably, she reached into her handbag and pulled out her Taser. “I find actions speak louder than words,” she said as she pushed past Joyce and tasered Buffy.

For the first time ever, however, the person she put the taser to didn’t fall to the ground.

When Buffy felt an electric charge hit her, she immediately turned, grabbed the weapon and attacked. Since she recognized Veronica, she didn’t strike her with her fist. Instead, she turned her own Taser against her, tasering Veronica, who fell to the ground.

“Stop it!” Keith yelled, pulling Buffy back.

Joyce, though, was pissed that his daughter had pulled a weapon on her daughter. She put her hand on Buffy’s to get her attention. Buffy turned off the Taser and stepped back. It was Joyce’s turn to yell.

“Keith, I am sorry that Buffy was so rude to you. It won’t happen again,” she said. Then she gave Veronica an angry look. “However, your daughter is way out of line! Not only does she tell Buffy you don’t respect women or implied you will treat me badly, she attacks my daughter unprovoked. Buffy is a weapon, an expert in martial arts. No one should ever attack her unless they want to be hurt. She’s lucky that Buffy only turned her own weapon on her.”

Veronica was stunned. Not only at the fact that Buffy didn’t fall on the ground after getting tased, but she’d so easily grabbed the weapon from Veronica and turned it against her. Her father reached down to help her up.

“I agree that Veronica’s behavior is unacceptable,” Keith said. When Veronica opened her mouth to say something, he gave her that look of his. She closed her mouth.

“I’m keeping this Taser,” Buffy said. “When Veronica can apologize for attacking me unprovoked, I might give it back.”

“You were threatening physical violence against my dad!” Veronica said, unable to stay silent.

“Veronica,” Keith said, frowning at her.

“I’m not going to shut up, Dad,” she said. “I only did it because I thought she was going to hurt you.”

“You and I will talk about your total lack of respect for me later,” he said. “Go into my office. You’ve done enough.”

Veronica knew not to push him further and did what he asked. Xander, who had been standing in the background, decided that his presence would not help the situation, so he left.

“I wasn’t about to attack you,” Buffy said to Keith. “I have more self-control than that. If you had hurt her, though, I might’ve punched you.”

“If I hurt her, you have my permission to,” Keith said. “I’m sorry about my daughter. She is impetuous and overly protective.”

“Buffy, can you go mind my gallery?” Joyce asked. “I would like to speak to Keith.”

Buffy nodded and left. Once she was gone, Keith moved closer to Joyce, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Joyce, I am truly sorry about all this,” he said. “I want you to know that I have real feelings for you. Something, I haven’t felt in a long time. I’ve dated a hand full of woman—maybe five at the most—besides Veronica’s mother. I don’t toy with women, and I don’t really know what possessed my daughter to say anything to Buffy indicating I might do such a thing to you.”

Joyce nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I need some time to think about this. If it was just us, I would say, let’s keep going forward. But it’s not just us. We have our girls, and even though they’re adults, we’re both very close to our daughters. They live with us, and if we’re going to be together, they have to be together or able to be together.”

“It’s early. Give it time,” he said. He pulled her in for hug, but she pulled away when he tried to kiss her.

“Talk to your daughter. This kind of thing can’t happen again,” Joyce said. “You have no idea what my daughter’s been through. Now she’s happy for the first time in years, and your daughter’s jealousy or insecurities are threatening that. We are too new.”

“Don’t you feel it, Joyce?” he said, reaching for her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he continued. “This is special. We have so much in common. We have so much fun together. It may just be a month or so, but I feel like I’ve always known you. Don’t you feel the same?”

Joyce closed her eyes, a pang in her heart at his words. Finally, a man she both admired and respected really liked her, but it might be over before it really got started. “I do,” she admitted, looking at him. “But our daughters mean more to both of us than our personal happiness. Talk to Veronica and come see me before you close up for the day.”

Keith felt relieved that she wasn’t shutting him out completely. “I will,” he said.

After she left, he went to his office. “I can see getting booted by the FBI taught you nothing about restraint or trusting your partner,” he said to Veronica as he sat in his chair.

“I thought she was going to hurt you, Dad,” Veronica said defensively. “Weevil had just told me that she was a black belt and had fought of some Russian thugs very recently.”

“So you immediately came to the conclusion that I couldn’t do anything to defend myself?” he asked, annoyed. 

“It just seemed the easiest way to diffuse her,” Veronica said. “I didn’t realize the girl was such a freak of nature that a taser wouldn’t faze her!”

“Let’s forget about Buffy and the Taser a moment,” Keith said. “I would like to know why she insists you told her I was a man-slut who would toy with her mother’s affections.”

“I never called you a man-slut!” Veronica said.

“You didn’t imply to her that I have lots of lovers and her mother couldn’t trust me?” he asked. “The girl was too mad to have made it up.”

“Well, maybe she misunderstood me and is prone to overreacting,” Veronica said.

“Quit evading the question, Veronica. What did you say?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

“I just said that you went out with a married woman that one time and had dated Wallace’s mom,” she said defensively.

“Do you not want me to be happy?” he asked bluntly. “It wasn’t enough that you screwed up my re-election chances, so now you want derail my budding romance with a terrific woman?”

Veronica couldn’t believe he’d said that, and she stood to her feet. “How can you say that to me? I didn’t mean for that to happen! It was Jake Kane!” she said defensively.

“Who you pissed off when you tried to blackmail him,” he pointed out. “Remember, Veronica, I know you. I know that you are suspicious by nature, but I honestly thought you weren’t petty or jealous—at least I didn’t raise you to be.”

Veronica felt a stab of guilt. “I’m really sorry, Dad,” she said.

“Joyce is a wonderful woman, Veronica,” he said. “She and I have a lot in common.”

“She owns an art studio, Dad,” Veronica said. “I’ve never seen you collect art.”

“Well, then you’re not that observant, are you?” he asked. He pointed to the wall next to the door.

Veronica looked at the painting of a man playing with a young girl at the beach. “I didn’t see it,” she admitted.

“That picture reminded me of you, and Joyce gave me a really good deal,” he said. “Your mother and I used to go to art shows, Veronica. I even went to one with Alicia once.”

“I will apologize to Joyce,” Veronica said.

“You will apologize to Buffy, too,” he said.

“She tasered me, too!” Veronica pointed out.

“Only after you tasered her,” he countered. “If you want your taser back, you will apologize because I will not be interfering in that.”

Veronica didn’t want to upset him further, so she left. She knew she should go apologize to Joyce right then, but she didn’t want to see that Buffy freak again. The fact that she had her own Taser used against her pissed her off. Of course, she knew that she didn’t have much of a moral high ground.

Instead, she called Mac. “Hey, Mac. I’m back in town,” she said.

“Really? I thought you weren’t coming back until next month,” Mac said.

“What can I say? The FBI and I decided to part ways,” she said in an upbeat voice she didn’t feel.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mac said. “You feeling okay?”

“I’ll live,” she replied. “I’m more upset over this big fight my dad and I got into in.”

“You and your dad never fight,” Mac said.

“I know,” Veronica said. “I really messed up this time. Are you home? I’ll come over and tell you all about it.”

“I will be for the next half hour or so,” she said. “Come by. I’m having dinner with my two new friends.”

“You made two new friends? I’m so impressed!” Veronica said.

“My mother is over the moon,” Mac said. “She was a real social butterfly, and my lack of being the opposite has always disappointed her. She was glowing when I had actual friends over for the Fourth of July.”

“Who’s the new friends?” Veronica asked.

“Willow and her girlfriend Tara,” Mac said. “I’d love for you to meet them. Can you come to dinner with us?”

“You have a lesbian couple friend? How in vogue of you,” Veronica said. “I’m so interested.”

“Willow is a computer geek like me—computer science major. Tara is kind of shy but super sweet,” Mac said.

“I’m on my way,” Veronica said.

She went to Mac’s and told her about running into Weevil on the beach flying a kite with a blonde girl and another guy. “I found out the girl is the daughter of the lady my dad is dating,” Veronica shared.

Mac’s eyes widened as she wondered how to let Veronica know she knew the people in question. “You’re not the only one making friends,” Veronica said. “Weevil told me the guy was his new co-worker, and he’s been dating the girl.”

“I actually knew that,” Mac said. “Don’t kill me, but Buffy was my first new friend. I have had breakfast at Xander’s.”

“You’re sleeping with Xander?” Veronica asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

“No!” Mac exclaimed. “Friends. We’re just friends.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Veronica asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Nothing. He’s great. His best friends are girls—he’s like Wallace,” Veronica said.

“Really?” Veronica asked intrigued.

“We’re getting off track,” Mac said. “You were venting about your dad. I can fill you on my stuff later.”

“Fine, but I’m not going to forget,” Veronica said.

“I’m sure you won’t,” Mac said, grinning.

Then she shared her comments to Buffy about her dad.

“Why did you say that? Your dad is amazing,” Mac said, surprised.

“I know he is,” Veronica said. “I’m not really sure what made me do that. Nor can I explain following Buffy to my dad’s work and tasering her.”

“You did _what_?” Mac asked in shock.

“I know. Not my best move,” Veronica said. “But I’ve been punished for it. Not only is my dad super pissed, but Buffy didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, the freak turned and took my Taser from me. Then she tasered _me_ with it. I only did it ‘cause she was threatening violence against my dad.”

Mac didn’t think she could get more shocked, but she was. Then she started giggling. “I’m sorry!” she exclaimed. “I just can’t believe this! Wow!”

Veronica gave a rueful smile. “Yes, I know. Weevil will bust a gut laughing his ass off—so will Wallace,” she said.

“So I have about fifteen minutes before I’m meeting Willow and Tara, but I need to tell you about Buffy,” Mac said.

“Why do I feel I’m not going to like this?” Veronica said with a groan.

“It all started with my camping trip. Mom made me go buy a new bathing suit,” Mac said. She told her about her first meeting with Buffy. “Here’s this girl who looked every bit like an 09er, and she readily admitted to loving clothes and shopping. She should’ve been someone I never spoke to, but she was just so nice that I couldn’t believe it. When I found out that she didn’t own a cell phone and had walked the five miles to the store, I gave her a ride home. She lives just a few blocks from me.”

“Why did she walk five miles?” Veronica asked.

“Buffy isn’t like anyone we’ve ever met,” Mac said. “She’s an insane athlete—something of a savant. She just doesn’t get tired. As I was talked into playing volleyball with her, Wallace, and her friends, I can attest to that.”

“Weevil said she kicked some Russian thugs’ asses,” Veronica said. “That was somehow in defense of Logan—do you know about that?”

“I do, but that’s another long story,” Mac said. “It’s time to go meet the girls.” If she brought up Logan dating Buffy, the evening would derail entirely.

Mac offered to drive, so Veronica rode with her to the Mexican restaurant they were eating at. “Dad says I have to apologize to Joyce and Buffy,” Veronica said.

“I hope you do,” Mac said. “Buffy is actually pretty likeable once you get to know her.”

“She said she wouldn’t give me back my Taser until I gave her a sincere apology,” Veronica said with a grimace.

Mac snickered. 

“Hey, you’re my best friend! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Veronica exclaimed.

“I am!” Mac said. “I just can’t help but picture that scene.”

Veronica glared but wasn’t really mad. She knew that the situation was mostly of her own making. When they made it into the restaurant, a red-headed girl waved at Mac.

Mac realized something and stopped and jumped in front of Veronica. “I forgot to mention something. Something super important,” Mac said. “Willow is adopted, so don’t freak out when you notice who she looks like.”

Veronica peered around Mac and took a closer look at the woman, and her mouth fell open. “That’s freakin’ insane! She’s the spitting image of Trina Echolls!” she exclaimed.

“They are biological sisters, and let’s not talk about it now,” Mac said.

Veronica was stunned as she was introduced to Willow and Tara. As she got up closer, it was clear there were differences as Willow had a softer appearance—a joyful look about her.

“Oh, I am so glad you brought Veronica!” Willow gushed—much to Veronica’s surprise. “I’ve heard so much about you that I feel like I know you already!”

“Really?” Veronica asked.

“I haven’t exactly had a chance to tell Veronica everything,” Mac said.

“Well, let’s get some drinks,” Tara suggested. “Once Willow gets going, it’s hard to get her to slow down.”

Veronica saw the loving look passed between the two women and couldn’t help but respond. Smiling, she asked, “How long have you guys been together?”

“Always it seems,” Willow said. “But not quite a year.”

Tara’s bashful smile made Veronica love her in that moment. _It’s Meg. Meg from middle school before she became confident. Wow!_

“We met at our Wicca group at USC Sunnydale where we transferred from,” Willow said.

“Wicca? I have never met any Wiccans before,” Veronica said.

“It’s all about Mother Earth and reading auras and stuff,” Willow said easily.

“You can read auras?” Veronica asked interested but skeptical.

Willow shook her head. “No, not really. I’ve not been a Wiccan long, but Tara’s mom was Wiccan and taught her a bunch—she can,” Willow said.

Tara blushed at the attention. “Oh-well-it’s just-just something I can do,” she admitted, clearly uncomfortable. “It teaches me about a person sometimes.”

“Oh really?” Veronica said.

“Hey, let’s order. I’m hungry!” Mac interrupted, not wanting Veronica to start interrogating Tara. Tara’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out, sending a text.

They took a minute to peruse the menu and ordered as their chips and salsa were placed in front of them.

“So what made you transfer to Hearst?” Veronica asked, changing the subject.

“Well, Sunnydale had a lot of violence,” Willow said.

“Too many murders,” Tara said.

“Neptune’s had some murders—mass murders even,” Veronica said.

Willow and Tara both looked sad as they nodded. “Yes, we heard,” Willow said. “But our high school had an obituary column it was so bad.”

Veronica’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s insane!” she exclaimed.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” Tara said to Veronica. She was sitting across from Veronica.

Her softly spoke sincerity touched Veronica, and she really liked the girl in that moment. Too few people had ever offered her real sincerity. “Thanks,” Veronica said. “It’s been over three years, though. I’ve gotten used to Lilly being gone.”

“My mother died about three years ago,” Tara shared. “You don’t really get used to them being gone. You just get used to the giant hole in your life.”

Willow reached over and squeezed Tara’s hand. “And you keep them with you,” Willow said softly.

Tara gave her a gently smile and nodded. “Yes, you do,” Willow said.

Mac was relieved that Veronica was getting along so well with her new friends and relaxed. The three of them shared the inconsequential things a person shared when meeting a new person. 

After their food arrived, they ate in silence a few minutes. Then Willow said, “I was really impressed to hear that you are such a clever investigator so young. I’m sorry, though, you had to get attacked so much.” Willow admired this girl a lot as Buffy got attacked a lot, but she could more than take care of herself. Veronica didn’t have superstrength—just her immense intellect. “I was attacked once my sophomore year. I was super shy with boys, unable to form coherent sentences around them. I was foolishly crushing on my best friend, who was a guy. Then I made a new friend who encouraged me to embrace the moment, so I did. I didn’t know the guy I agreed to go get ice-cream with was such a creep, though.”

“Oh, God,” Veronica said, upset at the thought of another girl suffering like she did. “I’m so sorry!”

Mac hadn’t heard this story and felt the same. “Me, too!”

“It’s okay,” Willow said. “My new friend, Buffy, who is now my second-best friend, she heard my screams and came to my rescue. She’s my hero.”

“Buffy? You know Buffy?” Veronica asked. She gave Mac a disgusted look.

“I didn’t want you to be prejudice,” Mac said.

Willow frowned. “You met her?” Willow said, confused by the comment.

“I had the displeasure,” Veronica said. “She threatened my father with bodily harm.”

Willow didn’t seem surprised by that and exchanged a look with Tara, who had a slight smile on her face. “Oh, well, she does that sometimes,” Willow said. “It’s how she shows her love.”

“By threatening to hurt people?” Veronica asked.

“No, by threatening to hurt people who might hurt someone she loves,” Willow said with a grin. “Sunnydale was a violent town, and until Buffy moved there and stood up to the gang members—”

“With her fists,” Tara interjected.

Willow laughed. “Yes, with her fists, the murder rate was high,” Willow said. “Our graduating class even gave her the class protector award because she saved so many lives. Our graduating class has the lowest mortality rate in decades.”

Veronica and Mac both were more than rattled by Willow’s story.

“God, Willow. I didn’t realize it was so bad,” Mac said with sympathy.

“Yea, I didn’t know any place was that much worse than Neptune,” Veronica added.

“Oh, Neptune is like heaven in comparison,” Willow said. “Buffy can be a bit abrasive, and she’s insanely protective. She’s threatened a lot of guys on Xander’s behalf—he’s my best guy friend.”

“Of course, he is,” Veronica said, giving Mac a look. Weevil’s kite flying male buddy was known to these girls, too.

Mac looked guilty. “I told you I had a lot to tell you,” she said.

“There’s my two favorite witches,” a voice said.

Veronica looked up and groaned. “God, hates me,” she muttered as she saw Dick Casablancas coming toward them. She looked at Mac. “What is he doing here? Why is he calling us witches?”

“Oh, he’s talking to me and Tara,” Willow said. “He’s our friend.”

“And here I was thinking you two were such nice, sensible girls,” Veronica said. Willow just laughed, unoffended. She had been warned by Mac about Dick’s history with Veronica.

“Dick, we’re having lunch,” Mac said, hoping to ward off the inevitable spat.

“I can see that,” Dick said. “But when you told me that Ronnie was here, I had to come and see how she was.”

“I’m fine, Dick,” Veronica said. “You can see that, so now you can leave. I don’t even care enough to ask why you suddenly care about my well-being.”

“Have you had lunch?” Willow asked. “Do you want to join us?”

Dick snickered. “Not unless I want to get stabbed with Ronnie’s fork,” he said. “I just had to come see how she was since a little birdy told me she tried to taser someone and got a taste of her own medicine.” He looked entirely too pleased by that fact.

“Who told you that?” Veronica asked with narrowed eyes.

“Who do you think?” Dick asked with a wide grin. “Logan _is_ dating Buffy after all. Of course, she told him you were in town like five minutes before tasering him. Buffy thinks you did it over her mom and your dad dating, but we both know it wasn’t about that.”

“You don’t know anything,” Veronica said. “Why don’t you leave and mind your own business?”

Tara didn’t like conflict and could see that Veronica really didn’t like Dick’s teasing. “Dick, maybe you-you should-should go,” she said.

“Not before, I say one more thing,” Dick said, eagerly. He couldn’t believe Veronica got tasered by her own taser, and he wasn’t there to see it. As soon as he heard Logan’s phone conversation with Buffy, he knew he had to come give Veronica a hard time. “Logan doesn’t know what to think, but I know you were just looking for an excuse to taser the new hot blonde in Logan’s life.”

Veronica frowned, trying to make sense of the idiot’s ramblings. When she glanced at Mac and saw a guilty expression, she realized what Dick was saying.

Buffy Summers was dating Logan.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_Any real Veronica Mars fans has to be enjoying this update as it was super fun to write and imagine happening! If you are reading this because you just love BTVS, it might not be as entertaining for you. Review if you have time or what to. Leave a kudos if you haven't yet! I really appreciate it! Thanks!_


	12. Magic

_*****The Next Day*****_

Veronica laid in bed, staring at her ceiling. Her mind wouldn’t stop replaying all the events of the day before. After her disastrous encounter with Buffy, she had started to have a nice lunch with Mac and Mac’s new friends. Then Dick had crashed it, being a total ass. 

_Flashback_

_“Buffy’s dating Logan?” she said, once Dick’s words registered._

_Dick blinked. “Oh, you didn’t know?” he asked._

_“I’ve been gone all summer. How would I?” she pointed out. She glanced at Mac. “I thought Weevil was dating Buffy. Is she two-timing him?” She was fuming at the thought._

_“Relax, Ronnie,” Dick said. “It’s totally casual. Somehow, Buffy has managed to not only date both of them, but they’ve not come to blows over it.”_

_Veronica looked at the girls, who all nodded. “And you two are supposed to be the witches?” Buffy said to Willow and Tara._

_Willow grinned. “Totally good witches, so no worries. And Buffy’s not a slut, so don’t go thinkin’ she is,” Willow said. “She’s not sexing them up. She’s had a pretty tragic love life, and she just wants to have fun.”_

_“Logan’s been having lots of fun,” Dick said with a smirk. “Buffy doesn’t tie him in knots.”_

_“Well, good for him,” Veronica said. “You can go now.”_

End of Flashback.

Dick had left but the enjoyable lunch was not the same. Veronica, though, had really liked the two girls, especially Tara. How the two girls were friends with Dick was mystifying. When she’d asked Mac about it, Mac had shrugged. “Dick makes them laugh,” she had said.

Veronica vowed to make sure he wasn’t toying with them. Was sleeping with lesbians a new thing his fraternity was giving points for this school year? She didn’t put anything past those assholes. It was hard for to picture Weevil and Logan once again dating the same girl, especially one who wasn’t anything like Lilly.

Veronica sat up in bed, knowing that she had to get up and face the day. Today, she was going to go the art gallery and apologize to Joyce.Fighting with her dad wasn’t something she ever enjoyed, especially when she knew that she was the one who’d been in the wrong. Why had she said that to Buffy? Didn’t she want her dad to find happiness with someone else? What would happen to her dad when she moved away? Did she want him to be all alone? Was she really that selfish?

Feeling off centered, she got in the shower and then got dressed. Her dad was already gone when she left her bedroom. Deciding to grab breakfast at the Hut and check on her job status, she drove there. To her dismay, Buffy greeted her at the waitress stand. “Hello, welcome. Would you like a table?” Buffy asked, giving her a bright smile.

“You work here?” Veronica asked.

“Yep. I took your job for the summer,” Buffy said. “Are you hoping to start back sooner?””

“I don’t know. I wanted to grab a muffin and coffee to go,” Veronica said. “I was going to go apologize to your mother. Does she like a special drink I can take her?”

“She does. I’ll make it for you,” Buffy said. She was waiting to see if Veronica was going to make an overture toward her.

Veronica said hello to some workers that she knew, and then the manager came up to her.

“Veronica, I didn’t realize you were back in town. I thought you weren’t coming back until next month,” he said.

“That was the plan,” Veronica said. “But the summer program wasn’t a good fit, so I decided to come back early.”

“You know I hired Buffy and told her the job was hers until classes resumed,” he said.

“That’s okay,” Veronica said. “I can work with my dad until then.”

“Good. If something opens up, though, can I call you?” he asked.

“Of course,” Veronica said. Buffy had commandeered all her friends, her mother was dating her father, she was dating Veronica’s ex, and now she had Veronica’s job. It was hard for her to keep the smile on her face as Buffy came back with a cup carrier and a bag.

“Here you go,” Buffy said. “That’s $8.72.”

Veronica handed her a ten. “Keep the change,” she said.

“Thanks,” Buffy said. “Have a good day.”

“You, too,” Veronica said. She turned to go and then paused—it was time to bite the bullet. “Oh, I guess I should apologize for being a bitch yesterday.”

“Yes, you should,” Buffy said with a grin. “Then I can apologize for using your Taser against you.”

Veronica was surprised that she was willing to be so magnanimous. “How did you do that? I’ve used that Taser on a lot of guys, and they’ve all fallen,” Veronica said.

Buffy shrugged. “I’m just special,” she said. “My body is hard wired differently. I don’t tire easily—I’m very physical.”

“My dad is amazing,” Veronica said. “I don’t know why I said that about him.”

“You’re an only child, and you don’t like to share?” Buffy suggested with a smirk.

Veronica glared but grudgingly admitted, “Maybe.”

“Buffy, you have a table,” her manager said.

“I gotta go,” Buffy said. “I appreciate the apology, and my mom will, too. I’ll give my mom your Taser to give to your dad.”

“Thanks,” Veronica said. She turned to leave, feeling unsettled. The woman didn’t make much sense.

When she arrived at the gallery, she hoped it was early enough that no one would be there with Joyce. She looked at her watch—it wasn’t yet ten.

“Mrs. Summers?” Veronica said, getting her attention.

“Hello, Veronica,” Joyce said, giving her a friendly smile. 

Veronica was relieved that she was being nice and returned her smile. “Hi. Sorry to interrupt your work, but I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I brought you a drink—Buffy made it,” she said.

“That was thoughtful of you,” Joyce said, accepting the drink. “Thank you.”

“I apologized to Buffy, and she was very nice about everything,” Veronica said.

“You know, Veronica, your dad has told me about the rough times you’ve had,” Joyce said. “Buffy’s had some nightmare experiences herself—you two have a lot in common actually. I was really hoping you would be friends. In fact, she was really looking forward to meeting you because she’d heard so many wonderful things about you from everyone.”

Veronica was feeling very small and searched for the words to make things better. “I think my experiences have made me suspicious and untrusting,” she admitted.

“That’s understandable,” Joyce said.

“My dad is my hero,” Veronica said. “He jumped through fire once to save my life. Did he tell you that?”

Joyce smiled. “Not exactly,” she said. “But I know he’s special. Buffy’s a lot like him that way—she’s my hero.”

“That’s what Willow said about her,” Veronica said.

“She’s a protector,” Joyce said. “I think you’re the same way, so I hope you two can find a way to be friends or at least get along. If you don’t think you can, then let me know now. I won’t see your father anymore. Buffy’s been through too much to have my personal life cause her problems.”

Veronica was alarmed at Joyce’s words—her father was going to kill her. “Please, Mrs. Summer. I have never seen my father so happy—not in a very long time,” she said. “He’s crazy about you, and I know we can figure this out.”

Joyce nodded. “I appreciate you saying that,” she said.

Veronica smiled, grateful that she was being so nice. She said goodbye and went over to her dad’s office.

“Hey, Dad,” she said.

“Hello, Veronica,” he said.

“I wanted you to know that I apologized to both Buffy and Mrs. Summers,” Veronica said.

“I appreciate that,” Keith said. 

“Did you know that Buffy has taken over my job at the Hut?” she asked.

Keith nodded. “I did,” he said.

“Do you think you could use me here?” she asked.

“If you want to answer the phone and take messages, sure,” he said. “If something comes up, we’ll see.”

Veronica smiled, relieved that he wasn’t pushing her away.

The next day, her father handed her Taser to her. “Joyce gave this to me this morning,” Keith said.

“Thanks,” Veronica said. She put it in her bag. “Is everything okay between the two of you?”

Keith shrugged. “She met me for breakfast, and we talked,” he said. “She has misgivings, but we both feel what we have is too important to throw away because my daughter is prone to dramatics.”

“Hey!” she protested.

“She did appreciate your apology, and so do I,” Keith said. “I asked her to come over here for lunch—we’ll order a pizza. I want you two to spend some time together without Buffy around, so she can see what I see.”

“What’s that?” Veronica asked.

“That my daughter is wonderful, funny, clever, and very loyal,” Keith said, smiling at her.

Veronica returned his smile, happy that she was really forgiven.

***** _Two Days Later*****_

Willow was excited because Logan had invited her out to dinner. She had spent time with him always with others around, and this was the first time she was getting to spend time with him alone. Tara watched her get ready. “You seem happy,” she observed.

“Logan and I are finally going to get to spend some time together, and I can learn about him and his life and my sister,” she said. Then she cringed. “I mean you can come if you want. I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome!”

“That’s okay, sweetie,” Tara said. “You and I don’t have to be joined at the hip. I love that we have so many things in common, but it’s good for couples to spend time with other people.”

“Even if I’m going out with another hot guy?” Willow asked with a grin.

“Even if,” Tara said. “Besides, I got my own hot blonde, remember? Dick’s taking me to a frat party even though he said I won’t like it.”

“Then why is he taking you?” Willow asked.

“He just wants me to meet some of his brothers,” Tara said. “I think it’s kind of sweet.”

“It is,” Willow said. “It’s kind of hard to picture the ass he is with Veronica Mars, isn’t it? Mac told me she wasn’t angry without cause. After Lilly Kane died and her father investigated the Kane family, Logan had the entire school turn against her—Dick was the cruelest.”

“Veronica forgave Logan, though, so I’m not sure why she’s so angry still with Dick,” Tara said, frowning. “Dick is very loyal, and he’s not very deep. He told me that when Duncan broke up with Veronica and wouldn’t talk about it, he figured that she must’ve really hurt him. Then when Lilly died and Veronica sided with her dad, Logan was pretty torn up because she was Lilly’s best friend, and the four of them—Duncan, Lilly, her, and Logan—had done everything together.”

“I admire Veronica. She stood up to basically an entire group of Cordettes and didn’t just take their crap—she fought back,” Willow said. “Mac said she also got even a lot.”

“Do you know why Logan and Veronica broke up?” Tara asked.

“Mac said they were having problems and broke up, and then go back together. Then Veronica found out he slept with the girl Veronica hated most in the world when they were broken up—she just couldn’t get past it,” Willow said. 

“Dick said Veronica broke Logan, and he is very happy that he is dating Buffy even if she is dumb enough to also date Weevil at the same time,” Tara said with a grin.

Willow giggled. “I don’t think Logan’s going to win Buffy, though,” she said.

“You don’t? Don’t straight girls like the bad boys with the broken hearts?” Tara asked with a smirk.

“Well, Buffy had an all-consuming love with Angel, and she recognizes it when she sees it,” Willow said. “If Logan has that type of love for Veronica, she won’t fall for him. Plus, Xander told me that Weevil knew about the supernatural, and he knew Sunnydale was a hellmouth ‘cause he had a cousin that lives there.”

“Really?” Tara said.

There was a knock on their door. “Talk later,” Willow said as she opened the door, greeting Logan. 

“You two have fun,” Tara said. 

Willow kissed her goodbye, and Logan said, “I’ll try not to ruin her for you.”

“Like you could,” Tara said with a grin.

Dick arrived as they stepped in the hall. Willow greeted him. “Have fun with my girl, but you better not let any of your frat boys put their grubby hands on her!” she said.

“Don’t worry,” Dick said, grinning. “I’ll make sure my hands are the only ones on her.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me turn you into a rat,” she said.

Dick’s eyes got wide. “You can do that?” he asked.

“Why don’t you ask Tara to show you my sophomore yearbook? You can see what our rat Amy used to look like,” Willow said with a smirk before she grabbed Logan’s hand and left.

Dick looked at the cage on top of the dresser where Amy the rat was happily spinning on her wheel in horror, and Tara couldn’t help but laugh.

Logan snickered as the got into the elevator. “That was so mean,” he said.

“I know, but did you see his face?” Willow said with a giggle. 

“You aren’t nearly as nice and sweet as you seem,” Logan said, shaking his head in bemusement.

“You know I’d never turn him into a rat!” Willow assured him.

“Yes, Willow, I know,” Logan said, smiling. The summer had been surprisingly fun since he had met the girls. It was nice to meet people who had no expectations of him. They didn’t keep up with celebrity gossip—much to his shock and pleasure. In fact, their friend Xander was the only one who had heard of his father as Willow’s parents were psychologists, who thought movies were frivolous and intellectually a waste of time. His tragedies didn’t turn them off either as they had their own tragedies. He didn’t know much yet about Sunnydale, but he knew that a lot of people had died there. Dick had said their high school had even blown up during their graduation ceremony, killing several people due to a gas leak.

Willow chatted easily with Logan, making him laugh a lot. She was so different from Trina that it was disconcerting at times, but it was also nice. As they looked at the menu, she told him things she liked.

“I’m allergic to shellfish,” he told her.

“That sucks,” she said. “I’m not allergic to anything. I have frog fear, though.”

Logan grinned. “Seriously?” he asked.

She blushed. “Yea,” she said. “This mean girl in school, Harmony, put one down the back of my shirt when I was in second grade. I screamed and caused a big scene. Then her friend Cordelia did it the next day. My best guy friends had to grab Harmony and cut off one of her ponytails to get them to leave me alone.”

“Xander did that?” Logan asked.

“Actually, it was Jesse,” Willow said. “Xander held her arms while Jesse snipped away—they got suspended for three days. Then Cordelia came and kicked Jesse between the legs, but she didn’t get in any trouble, of course.”

Logan laughed. “Man, I didn’t know second graders were so vicious!”

“Sunnydale was tough,” she said.

“Where’s Jesse going to school?” Logan asked.

Willow looked sad, and Logan realized that something probably happened to the guy. “He didn’t make it,” she said.

“He died during your graduation?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, he died the week Buffy moved to Sunnydale, actually,” Willow said. “We were taken by this twisted gang that hurt a lot of people in town. Buffy managed to save me and Xander, but she didn’t get to Jesse in time. They killed him.”

“God, Willow. I’m so sorry,” he said, reaching across the table to grab her hand.

“It’s okay,” Willow said. “It’s been a few years.”

“That’s the same time that we lost Lilly,” he said.

“Maybe, we should talk about something more cheerful,” Willow said. “Tell me about Trina. What’s she like?”

“Spoiled. Self-absorbed. Typical 09er,” he said with a shrug.

“Really?” Willow said. “That’s kind of crappy. How come you’re not like that?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I am sometimes. A lot of people would say I was exactly like that. What about you? What are your adopted parents like?”

“They’re nice,” Willow said. “They’re Jewish, so I was raised Jewish. They didn’t send me to Hebrew school, though, which I might’ve like ‘cause I kind of like learning dead languages. I know some Latin and Sumerian.”

“That’s impressive. I just know a bit of Spanish,” Logan said.

“What was it like growing up as an only child? Trina got all the positive attention from my dad while I normally just got the shit beat out of me,” Logan said.

“Really? That’s horrible,” Willow said, looking at him in dismay. Of course, since his dad was a murderer, she should’ve figured he wasn’t a good dad.

“You honestly don’t know any of this? My life has been in the tabloids for the past few years—I don’t really have any secrets,” he said with a bitter edge.

“Surviving Sunnydale required all of our energy,” she said. “Then school, so, no, I never kept up with celebrity gossip. My parents would’ve killed me if they saw me reading a gossip magazine.”

Logan just grinned and looked at her in bemusement. “I didn’t know people like you existed,” he admitted.

“You don’t think I’m a big nerd?” she asked.

“Well, yea, but I’m starting to love nerds,” he said, winking at her.

She laughed, enjoying his company immensely. “To answer your original question, being an only child was kind of lonely,” she said. “My parents started traveling a lot when I was twelve, so I was left alone more often than not.”

Logan frowned. That didn’t seem right at all. “That sounds—I’m not sure. It could be good, or it could be bad.” Then again, he was left alone a lot with his sister, but they did have a housekeeper there full-time whenever his parents were on location filming.

“It was okay,” she said. “It was a bit lonely, but I had my boys.”

“No female friends?” Logan asked.

Willow shook her head. “Not really. Not close friends. Not until Buffy,” she said. “Buffy changed my life. Have you ever had a friend like that?”

Logan nodded. “Yea,” he said. “Veronica did. She was a friend to me when my mom died even though I’d been such an ass to her after Lilly’s death. But I was so angry, and we eventually broke up. Then she went back to Duncan, which made me feel like I was an aberration. But then we got back together, and I felt like things were perfect.”

“What happened?” Willow asked.

“She just seemed to find fault with me all the time,” he said with a shrug. “I was just not quite good enough. I loved her more than anything, and I just knew she was just waiting for me to screw up. So I broke up with her. We were broken up for a few weeks—all the way through Christmas break last year. Then she showed up one day and basically through herself at me—I could never resist her. I was so happy to be back with her, but she couldn’t get past a one night stand I had when we were broken up.”

“I’m sorry,” Willow said. “I’m not immune to heartbreak. My first love was a guy named Oz—he was the best. The first guy to ever notice me. He was a year older, and he was in a band. Everyone loved him, but he loved me.” She smiled thinking about Oz.

“Dick told me you dated a guy, but I wasn’t sure I believed him,” Logan said. “You and Tara seem so perfect together.”

“You would’ve probably said the same thing if you saw me with Oz,” she said, smiling. “But he left me, and I was devastated. Nothing ever hurt so bad. I never thought I’d be whole again, and then I fell in love with Tara. It was like a piece of me that had been missing slid into place. Oz was such a stoic guy—he was a man of very few words. I hardly ever knew what he was thinking, but with Tara, it’s like she just sees inside my soul. You know?”

Logan smiled. “No, I can’t say that I do, but maybe someday I will,” he said.

“You will,” she told him.

Logan wondered if Buffy would be the girl for him or if Veronica would ever give him another chance? Did he want her to?

“I gotta hand it to you Echolls. You really get around.”

Logan looked up and saw Gorya Sorkin a few feet away. “I thought something smelled funny,” he said, grimacing. “What do you want, Gorya? Didn’t your cousin tell you about the beating he and his companions got the last time he messed with me?”

“Yea, I couldn’t believe it,” Gorya said. “He said you had a new blonde chick that wasn’t Veronica Mars help fight your battles now, but this isn’t a blonde.” He gave Willow a hard look, trying to place her.

“This is not that girl, so why don’t you go away?” Logan suggested.

Gorya gave him a smirk and said, “I’ll be seeing you.”

“Can’t wait!” Logan said.

“Who was that?” Willow said.

“Remember those guys Buffy and I got into a fight with at the beach?” he reminded her, and she nodded. “He’s the original guy I beat up in May when he posted a sex video of Veronica online. He’s a big baby, who can’t take a beating or fight his own battles.”

Willow grinned. “Those guys on the beach were friends of his, right?

Logan nodded. “Cousins,” he said.

“We better not tell Buffy about this,” Willow said. “She always itching for a fight.”

Logan laughed. “She’s something else,” he said.

He had no idea. When they finished dinner and went out to his car, he paused.

“What’s wrong?” Willow asked.

“That’s bastard!” Logan said angrily.

“What?” she asked, confused.

He pointed out his tire. “My tire is flat, and I would bet $100 that Gorya sliced it,” he said. 

Willow had no experience will this kind of villainy as she was used to soulless demons who just tried to rip her throat out. It was almost quant.

However, Logan seemed pretty angry.

“It’s just a tire, Logan,” she said, touching his arm. “Do you have Triple A? Or do you want to change the tire yourself? I can call Xander. He knows how to do that kind of thing.”

Logan couldn’t help but smile. “No, you don’t need to call Xander. I’ll do what all wealthy people do—call someone,” he said.

Willow laughed while he pulled out his phone to make a call. A Mustang convertible drove up. It was Gorya. “Car trouble?” he asked with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Some asshole sliced my tire,” Logan said. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“Well, you have so many admirers, so who knows?” Gorya said. Then he laughed and sped away, getting stopped by the red light.

Willow looked up and saw two birds on a nearby pole. 

Logan started to say something to her and noticed that her eyes were focused on something, and he looked up. When he saw two birds fly over and stop above Gorya’s car, he was puzzled. Then he heard Gorya’s shout and saw Willow grin in amusement.

“Did those birds just shit on his head?” Logan asked in awe.

“Looks like,” she said with a giggle.

“Did you have anything to do with that?” he asked.

She gave him a puzzled look. “How could I make two birds crap on someone?” she asked.

“Well, aren’t you a witch?” he asked with a teasing grin.

“Magic isn’t real, Logan. Don’t you know that?” she said, giving him a secret smile.

Logan laughed. “Okay, Sabrina. You almost had me,” he said. 

“Karma’s real, though,” she said. “Sometimes, it falls our way.”

“It’s about time,” Logan said. “But I’m so telling Dick that you made two birds shit on his head!”

Willow giggled, picturing Dick’s face. “He will so believe you,” she said.

Logan grinned. “I know he will,” he said. Dick already half believed that the girls had magic powers.

Wouldn’t that be something? What would he do with magic powers? The thought was amusing.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_I do have a plotline I will eventually get into that will make it clear to the Neptune friends how real magic is. If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know with a quick review. Thanks!_


	13. Dance Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter I have written up. I'm working on a new one.

_*****A Few Days Later*****_

It was just a few more weeks until classes started for the year, and Buffy wasn’t dreading it. Although the summer had been the best she’d had in years, she was looking forward to classes. Having gotten her freshmen year done, she felt a lot more confident even if Hearst was a new school. She still wasn’t sure what her major was going to be, but Willow suggested she take a wide variety of electives to try different things. That meant she was taking a business class, an art class, and a criminal justice class. Testing had shown she was suited for a career in law enforcement, which she totally didn’t agree with. However, she couldn’t dismiss it out of hand as Giles had spoken with her recently about being open to possibilities.

She missed her watcher so much. When she told him that Hearst offered athletic classes as humanities credit, she could feel his frown over the phone. “I don’t have you here to train me, Giles,” she pointed out. She had opted for the fencing class as it had the fencing club associated with it. That sounded fun as she’d be around other people who loved sword play. Of course, she’d work hard to hide her light under a bush, but she could still be excellent without be supernaturally so. Giles wasn’t sure she could pull it off, but she could totally. Already her new friends weren’t suspicious of her, and Logan had seen her fight. It was hard to believe that Neptune didn’t have any vampires to speak of. Giles speculated it was the lack of shadowed places and wealth of the 09 area as well as the nearby San Diego, where they preferred. He suggested she start patrolling San Diego, so she was going to do that. If she didn’t get to kill something soon, she was going to climb out of her skin.

Buffy always thought she wanted to be normal, resenting the calling that caused her such upheaval. Now, though, she was forced to admit that being a slayer was so much a part of her identity. The excess energy wasn’t as noticeable when she was patrolling on a hellmouth. When Willow picked her up to go over Logan and Dick’s, she shared her frustration with her and Tara.

“Maybe you should try out for the cross-country team,” Willow suggested. “They do all kinds of running.”

Buffy’s eyes brightened. “That’s a good idea. No one will think me so odd on a team of runners,” she said.

“I can look up what the highest runner speeds are these days, and we can work a bit on your pacing,” Willow suggested. “That way you won’t be crazy faster.”

“That’s a great idea!” Buffy said with a grin.

“There’s always martial arts,” Tara said. “I saw a dojo on Crawford when Will and I were exploring the other day.”

“Really?” Buffy said. “Hmmm. I wonder how expensive it would be?”

“Probably at least a hundred bucks or so a month,” Willow said.

“Or a lesson,” Tara said.

Buffy grimaced. “Well, I do have a job through the summer. I can see if the guys know of one that might make more money when classes start,” she said.

Dick and Logan had invited them for dinner at their place for the first time. “I can’t believe they live in a hotel,” Buffy said as they walked into the Neptune Grand.

Willow pushed the elevator button. “I know. It’s totally over the top,” she said.

“Dick told me that Duncan Kane, Logan’s best friend from high school had been staying here first senior year,” Tara said. “Logan stayed with him when Weevil’s gang burned down his house.”

Buffy blinked in dismay. “What? Weevil burned down his house?” she asked in outrage.

“I don’t think he did it personally or was even there,” Willow said quickly.

“There’s a lot of things that have happened that we don’t exactly know,” Tara said. “Veronica’s anger toward Dick at our lunch was so great, I could see it in her aura. He’s hurt her in such a terrible way that it’s scarred her aura.”

Buffy frowned. “That’s not good,” she said. “They seem like such nice guys, but on some level, they’re all villains—even Logan.”

“Well, I think Veronica pretty much reformed Logan,” Willow said. “I had lunch with him a few days ago, and we were talking about people who changed our lives. He said for him it had been Veronica, but she was always finding fault with him. He felt like he was never good enough, so he broke up with her before she could inevitably dump him. Then she wanted him back, and he couldn’t say no. Then she dumped him when she found out he had hooked up with her arch enemy when they were broken up.”

“She’s kind of a judgmental bitch,” Buffy observed. “But I’m trying to withhold judgement since our parents are clearly in the process of falling in love.”

“Do you really think it’s that serious?” Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. “I do,” she said. “She came home last night from dinner with Keith, and she was practically glowing. Then she told me how she’d mentioned to Keith about a reoccurring headache, and he insisted that she make an appointment with a specialist. He gave her the name of a neurologist he had done some work for in San Diego. That he cared so much over what she thought was just a headache really meant something to her.”

“That is so sweet,” Tara said with a grin as they got off the elevator.

The door was open, and Dick asked, “What’s sweet?” He’d been watching for them since Ratner called and told them his guests had arrived. He’d paid the rat to keep an eye out for three hot babes, and he hadn’t disappointed.

“Buffy was just telling us about Keith Mar’s courtship of her mother,” Willow said.

“Old people love isn’t sweet. It’s gross,” Dick said with a shudder.

“My mom isn’t that old!” Buffy said in outrage. “She’s forty-two!”

“That’s middle-age since eighty is when most people die,” Dick said.

Logan frowned as he heard the remark. “Why the hell are you guys talking about death?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Willow said dismissively. 

“Dick was trying to say my momma is old,” Buffy said with a glare.

“Dick thinks anyone over twenty-five is old,” Logan said. “Welcome, ladies. We’re glad you could make it.”

Buffy gave him a hug and sat on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. “I can’t believe you guys live in a hotel,” she said.

“It’s such a waste of money,” Willow said, shaking her head. “Hotels are so overpriced, and this one is the most expensive in town. Why are you guys living like this?”

“We can afford it,” Logan said.

“That’s not the point,” Willow said. “If you’ve been blessed with wealth, it doesn’t mean you should just throw it away like this. Do something worthwhile with it. Or at least buy the hotel!”

Dick’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea! We could totally buy it with the money from our ass site!” he enthused.

“Your ass site?” Tara asked.

Dick grinned and shared how that came to be.

Buffy laughed. “You guys are crazy!” she exclaimed. “I just can’t believe Mac created that for you.”

“Mackie’s got a gift,” Dick said.

“She’s also mercenary and pragmatic,” Logan said. “My kind of girl.”

“She told me how she got the money for her car,” Willow said with a snicker. “She’s pretty impressive.”

“That she is,” Logan said, smiling.

“If you’d seen how crazy those tests turned our school, you’d know how diabolical she is,” Dick said with a grin. “I don’t know if Beaver knew she was that devious.”

That was the first time Dick had voluntarily mentioned his brother, but the girls didn’t know the name Beaver and looked confused. “Who’s Beaver?” Buffy asked.

“That’s what I called my little brother Cassidy,” Dick said.

“Why?” Buffy asked. “That seems like a strange nickname.”

“It was because of when he was in second grade and had these two front teeth,” Dick said. “He looked like a beaver.”

“That’s kind of mean,” Tara said, frowning.

“Well, I was mostly a total ass to my brother,” Dick said, looking grim. “I mean, you don’t kill yourself because you come from a loving family, right?”

“Oh, Dick,” Tara said, her heart hurting for him. He was sitting next to her on the couch, and she reached over and took his hand. When she’d went to his frat party with him a few days ago, he’d been so sweet. Introducing her as his lesbian friend with such pride. She couldn’t even be embarrassed as he was clearly so stoked to have her at his side.

“Dick, Cassidy didn’t jump because of you,” Logan said. “I was there, remember? He wanted to kill Veronica because she had found out he raped her and had blown up the school bus. He was the reason our classmates died. Meg’s dead because of him. Duncan’s daughter has no mother because of what he did. Then he blew up a plane with several people on it. He was a mass murderer, and he took the coward’s way out. You can’t blame yourself. He planned everything—he was calculated. Those were his choices, and you are _not_ responsible, Dick.”

“And whose fault was all that? I’m the one who pushed him in the room with Ronnie when she was passed out and told him to have at it,” Dick said with loathing. Buffy and the girls all looked horrified. “Yes, it’s true. That’s exactly what happened. Of course, I didn’t dream he’d actually do it. I was just using yet another opportunity to put him down. I didn’t know that he’d been sexually abused by his bat coach when he was kid and was all screwed up.”

“No one did, Dick. He hid it well,” Logan said with a grimace.

Buffy realized that Veronica had more than enough reason to hate Dick, and she didn’t know how to feel right now. However, it was clear that Dick did feel a strong sense of guilt and shame. It reassured her that he acknowledged that his actions had been very wrong.

“That is really horrible, Dick,” Willow said. “Now I get why Veronica was so mad at you still.”

“Oh, that’s not the only reason,” Logan said. “I guess you guys should know everything now that Veronica’s back. Dick put GHB in his girlfriend, Madison’s drink, at that same party. He didn’t know that she spit in the drink and gave it to Veronica, which is why she was so trashed at the party. None of us knew Veronica had been drugged.”

“You were drugging your girlfriend?” Tara asked in dismay.

“It’s not what you think,” Dick said. “Madison and I sometimes took it together.”

“But she didn’t know you put it in her drink then, did she?” Willow asked.

“No,” Dick said. “I was going to tell her later. When she clearly hadn’t drunk the drink because she was in rare bitch form, though, I didn’t bother. It never occurred to me that anyone else had drunk it.”

“God, Dick,” Buffy said in disgust. “You guys have some serious issues. I ought to kick your ass on principle.”

“Yea, I know. I suck,” Dick said glumly. “What’s worse is Veronica blacked out and didn’t know what happened.”

“But she knew she woke up without any underwear on,” Logan said. “When she tried to report what happened to the police, the sheriff didn’t believe her, and Madison had wrote slut on her car since she was basically making out with everyone at the party. I was even drinking shots off her at one point.”

“And she dated you?” Buffy asked in surprise.

Logan winced. “Yes, I know. Dick and I were both total jackasses—I was worse, though, because Veronica and I were real friends when Lilly was alive. She dated Duncan, and I dated Lilly. Lilly and Duncan were siblings, so the four of us spent a lot of time together,” he said.

“And you all guys expected her to side with you against her father when he suspected the Kanes were covering up something in Lilly’s death?” Willow asked, trying to piece everything together.

Logan nodded. “Yes, we did. All us have crappy parents, so we just didn’t get it,” he said. “We didn’t get siding with a parent over your friends.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Tara said. “Well, my mom was wonderful, but my dad is a monster.”

“Your mom is dead?” Dick asked.

Tara nodded. “She died of cancer when I was sixteen,” she shared.

“That sucks,” he said.

Buffy’s stomach growled, interrupting the moment. Logan laughed. “Okay, we totally need to get some food ordered,” he said.

Logan passed out copies of the menus. “I hope you don’t mind eating here. We could go downstairs, though, if you want,” he said.

“No, this is fine,” Buffy said. She looked over the menu, trying to get Veronica’s story out of her mind. At first, she’d admired her, and then she’d come home and been such a bitch. Now she found out the girl how been through a real crucible and come out it stronger, and Dick and Logan had help hurt the girl. What was Buffy supposed to do with that information? It was old news, but to her, it was new.

“There’s a table on the balcony,” Dick said. “Ratner brought an extra chair.”

“Who’s that?” Willow asked.

“He’s our bitch,” Dick said with a grin.

“He’s at the front desk,” Logan said. “He goes to Hearst. He’s a year or so a head of us.”

“He likes to make extra money,” Dick said.

“Most people do,” Buffy said. “I’m thinking of taking martial arts classes when school starts, so I’m going to need a new job. Veronica’s going to be taking back her job. You guys have any leads?”

“I bet Ratner can hook you up,” Dick said. “He likes pretty girls.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Ignore him,” Logan said. “But Ratner would know if the hotel has anything. The front desk is a good place as you can get tips for doing things for guests. That’s what he does. Serving in the restaurant would be bigger tips than what you’re making at the Hut.”

“Cool,” Buffy said. “Maybe when we leave, you can walk me down and introduce me?”

“No problem,” Logan said.

When their food arrived, they dug in. Logan was always amused at Buffy’s singlemindedness when it came to food. Dick watched in awe as she ate her double cheeseburger and French fries. Then she started on her double chocolate piece of cake with relish, and he finally commented. “I think you eat even more than Ronnie,” he observed.

“I’m sure I do,” Buffy said with a shrug. “I have a very high metabolism.”

“Does that go with your crazy energy level?” Dick asked.

Buffy nodded. “I’m thinking of taking up cross country,” she said.

“That’s cool,” Dick said.

“I thought you were doing fencing,” Logan said.

“That, too,” Buffy said with a grin.

Logan shook his head. “You make me feel lazy,” he said.

“She makes everyone seem that way,” Willow said, giving Buffy a fond smile.

Buffy just stuck out her tongue and polished off her cake. “I wish we could go dancing. Weevil took me dancing, you know,” she said.

“Don’t remind me,” Logan said in disgust. “The man is obviously nuts over you as I can’t picture him going dancing with anyone.”

“I love dancing,” Buffy said.

“Well, I have music, and we can totally dance here!” Dick declared, getting up. He went into their living area and moved some furniture, and then he hooked up his music to a speaker. Looking smug, he grabbed Tara and began twirling her, which made her giggle.

Logan pulled both Willow and Buffy up, and the three danced to the fast music. Dick played several fast songs, and they danced, enjoying themselves. Then he threw in a slow song. Willow moved to Tara and told him, “My turn to dance with my girl.” Dick grinned and surrendered her.

Logan used the opportunity to slow dance with Buffy, who was enjoying the relaxing time. Logan was a much better dancer than other guys she’d dated or danced with—it was nice. Dick went and grabbed a beer from his fridge. 

When he came back to the room, he looked at his new favorite lesbian couple and grinned. They were clearly wrapped up in one another—it was both hot as hell and kind of sweet. It took him a moment to realize something wasn’t right about them. That’s when he saw it.

No f***ing way!

He blinked and put down the beer, taking a step closer. 

Then, he looked again, and it was still the same.

Willow and Tara were not touching the floor.

They were floating at least a foot off the ground.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_Yes, I just had to do it. Thoughts? Thanks for reading!_


	14. Magic is Real

_*****Where We Left Off*****_

When Dick realized that he wasn’t hallucinating and that the girls really were floating, he interrupted Logan and Buffy’s slow dance. 

“Dude,” he said, tapping his arm to get his attention. When Logan looked up, he pointed to the two girls.

Buffy winced and realized that the gig was up and walked over to her best friend, tapping her on the shoulder. “Hmm, Will,” she said.

“Yea?” Willow asked, looking up.

“You are floating,” she said.

“Oops,” Willow said, looking sheepish as she settled her and Tara back on the ground.

The two men stared at her and Tara and then looked at Buffy. Finally, Dick blurted out, “I _knew_ it! You really are witches!”

Logan snorted. “Let’s not jump to conclusions, Dick. Just because she clearly possesses telekinetic powers does not mean that she is a witch,” he said.

“Except that I am,” Willow said. “We told you that we were Wiccans—we are practicing witches. Unlike most, we have some power.”

“Willow has more than I do,” Tara said quickly.

“Tara’s mother was a practicing witch, and she has more knowledge. She’s been teaching me,” Willow said.

Dick was so excited he was practically jumping up and down. He reminded Buffy of Tigger from that cartoon she used to watch _Winnie the Pooh_.

“Magic is real?” Logan said, trying to wrap his mind around it. Then something occurred to him. “You made the bird crap fall on Goyra, didn’t you?”

Willow smirked. “It was a harmless use of magic,” she said. “Tara doesn’t like it when I use magic for stuff like that, but I couldn’t resist.”

“Is magic something anyone can learn?” Logan asked.

“Not everyone has the natural ability,” Willow said. “Some don’t. Some can be used in spells or follows spells to do things. Buffy and Xander can read basic spells and call the corners, but they aren’t witches.”

“One time, the military in Sunnydale had this robot that was killing people, and we combined our essence to defeat it,” Buffy said.

“Buffy was the hand that we channeled the magic through, so it seemed like she had magic,” Willow said. “But it was really just me, Xander, and Giles working a spell.”

“Giles is your old librarian?” Logan asked.

Buffy was impressed with his listening skills and gave him an approving smile. “You listen when I speak! I’m so happy!” she teased.

“I do,” he said, smiling at her.

“Giles was more than our librarian,” Willow said. “He was our mentor and father figure. He also taught me magic. I met him before I met Tara. She and I didn’t meet until college.”

“Where’s Giles now?” Dick asked.

“He’s in Ohio training Faith,” Buffy said with a pout. “He also instructed me in martial arts.”

“A librarian who knows magic and martial arts?” Logan asked incredulously. “How is that possible?”

“He’s British,” Buffy said as if that explained it.

That answer didn’t work for Logan. “So? What does that have to do with anything?”

“British people just know things,” Buffy said with a shrug. “He’s wearing of the tweed and drinking of the tea. He also made us learn ancient languages and read old musty books.”

Logan just shook his head, mystified.

“Think of magic as just another gift some people have,” Willow explained. “You and Dick are good at the surfing. Buffy’s good at the physical stuff. Xander’s good at fixing stuff, and we’re good and working elements of nature and channeling energy.”

They sat there a minute, trying to absorb what Willow said.

“Logan, do you think you can introduce me to the guy downstairs?” Buffy asked. She looked at Dick. “You can stay here, and Willow can reassure you some more that she’s not evil.”

“Oh, I don’t think that!” Dick said quickly. Then he got a funny look on his face. “You didn’t turn your friend Amy into a rat, though, right?”

“Actually, she did that to herself,” Buffy said.

“What?” Logan asked in disbelief.

“Yea, she was a witch, who had a really crazy mother that was a very powerful, evil witch. So evil in fact that—well, I better not tell that. I don’t want to give Dick nightmares,” Buffy said. “Anyway, Amy accidentally turned herself into a rat.”

“Giles and I couldn’t figure out how to turn her back because she called on the goddess Hecate,” Willow said.

“So the rat is really a girl?” Dick asked. “Is she a hot girl?”

Willow and Tara giggled. “I never met her, so I can’t say,” Tara said.

“She was attractive,” Willow said. “I need to get that spell figured out, though. We need to turn her back this year. The girl’s been a rat long enough.”

“That’s just messed up,” Logan said, shaking his head. “I don’t even know what to think about that.”

“It’s best not to,” Buffy said. “That’s what I do when things don’t make sense—don’t think about them.”

“You know you can’t go around telling people about this, right?” Willow said to Dick. “It’s not like the lesbian thing. Witchcraft is not something that is accepted.”

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us,” Dick said. “Right, Logan?”

“Of course. It’s not like anyone would believe us anyway,” Logan said with a smirk.

He and Buffy left the room, and he led her to the elevator. “So is that the only big secret you have?” Logan asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Buffy said with a grin.

“Yea, I would,” Logan said, reaching for her hand. When they stepped into it, he pushed the button to the ground floor and then pulled her close for a kiss.

Buffy returned his kiss and then pulled back. “Logan, I like you a lot, but I’m not going to trust you with all my secrets or my heart when I know you are still in love with Veronica,” she said.

Logan gave her a surprised look. “Why do you say that? Veronica and I have been broken up for several months,” he said. “I’ve moved on.”

“I know you’re trying,” Buffy said. “I had my own epic love with a guy named Angel. He was my first, and then he changed. Literally, overnight, he turned into this total monster. He ripped out my heart—I know what it feels like to think you’ve met your soul mate, and then have them walk away from you.”

“See, you already get me so well,” Logan said, a bit shaken by her.

“It’s how I know you’re still in love with her,” Buffy said gently. “Don’t get me wrong. A part of me is still in love with Angel, so I don’t expect you to be over her completely or anything. However, it does make me think that you and I wouldn’t be a good match long-term.”

The elevator opened. “Really?” Logan asked surprised.

“We’re too much alike,” Buffy said.

Her response wasn’t at all what he was expecting, and he couldn’t think of a response for a long moment. They were nearly at the front desk before he paused and grabbed her hand again. “How so?” he asked. “You’re all blonde and perky. No one has ever accused me of being perky.”

Buffy laughed. “We both are so much more than a pretty face,” she said, giving him a cheeky grin.

“Logan,” a voice said. Buffy smiled at the man behind the front desk.

“Ratner,” Logan said. “Just the man, I was looking for. This is my special lady friend, Buffy. Buffy, this is Ratner.”

“My name is Jeff,” Ratner said, giving Logan an annoyed look. He smiled at Buffy. “Nice to meet you, Buffy.”

Buffy gave him a warm smile. “Jeff, do you happen to know if the hotel is hiring serving staff? I’m needing some extra cash to take some martial arts classes, so I don’t grow rusty. Currently, I work at the Hutt on campus, but that’s just temporary,” Buffy said.

“So the new blonde girlfriend has the old girlfriend’s job?” Jeff said in bemusement.

“Can you help or not?” Logan asked impatiently.

“They are looking for another person for brunch,” Jeff said. “It’s ten to two on Saturday and Sundays. You’ll probably make a few hundred every weekend.”

“Seriously?” Buffy asked in surprise.

Jeff nodded. “Yea,” he said.

“That sounds great,” she said. “How do I apply?”

“Come here tomorrow morning before ten, and I will introduce to the floor manager in the dining room,” Jeff said.

“That’s great,” Buffy said. “Thanks.”

“Did you say you wanted to take martial arts lesson?” Jeff asked, looking at her doubtfully.

“Don’t let her appearance fool you,” Logan said. “She can kick some major ass.”

“I’ve been studying for years,” Buffy said.

“What style?” Jeff asked. “I actually have a second cousin who owns a kickboxing studio here in Neptune.”

“Seriously? There’s a kickboxing studio in town?” Buffy asked. She gave Logan a quizzical look.

Logan shrugged. “I had no idea,” he said.

“I’m actually off tomorrow, so I’ll meet you here to talk to the manager and then take you to meet my cousin if you want,” Jeff said.

“Really? That’s great. Do you have a car?” Buffy asked. “I don’t drive.”

“Of course, I have a car,” Jeff said.

“Buffy is still learning to drive,” Logan said with a smirk.

Buffy elbowed him—not too hard—in the stomach. “Hey,” she said.

“Pretty girls can always find some guy to drive them around,” Jeff said with a smile.

“Actually, I just usually walk everywhere,” Buffy said. “I have tons of energy.”

Logan laughed and shook his head while Jeff kept his comments to himself, not wanting to alienate the very attractive and friendly girl. “Hey, it’s a valid life choice,” Buffy protested. Now Jeff laughed.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jeff said.

“Thanks, Ratner,” Logan said. He looked down at Buffy. “Did you want me to take you home or was Willow going to?”

“She will probably be up there with Dick a while,” Buffy said. “If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Logan said, reaching for her hand.

Jeff watched the couple leave. They didn’t have the sexual chemistry that Logan and Veronica did. However, he hadn’t seen Logan smile so much before. It was a strange sight. The girl actually seemed genuinely nice, so why was she spending time with Logan?

***** _The Next Day*****_

Buffy was ecstatic to discover that the job at the hotel was hers if she wanted it. In fact, she could start the next day, which was Sunday as she didn’t have a shift at the Hutt. She figured that she’d talk to Veronica about taking her old job back sooner rather than later.

Jeff drove her over to his cousin’s kickboxing place, and it was not far from the hotel—about a mile. The sign said Michael’s Kickboxing. Both were not close to Buffy’s house. Obtaining her license was going to have to become a priority.

When Jeff introduced her to his cousin, Buffy had to crane her neck—the man was a giant. “Wow, you’re tall!” she exclaimed. Then she put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry! I hate when people comment on my height. You probably do, too!”

The very tall man with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, grinned down at Buffy. “Actually, it doesn’t bother me at all,” he said. He held out his hand. “Gabe Michaels.”

“Buffy Summers,” Buffy said.

“Jeff says you’re a fighter,” he said. “What belt do you have?”

Buffy shrugged. “I never did formal testing. I just learned a lot of different forms from Giles. Sometimes, he’d blindfold me and throw knives at me—that kind of thing,” she said. Both men looked at her in surprise. “I dodged every time.”

Gabe smiled. “Well, do you know kickboxing?” he asked.

Buffy bit her lip, wondering how to answer. Finally, she said, “Here’s the thing. I’m kind of a savant when it comes to fighting or anything physical really. Like Logan took me surfing, and I hadn’t done it in years, but I just could do it. I see someone fighting or someone teaches me a move, I just learn it.”

“Really?” Gabe asked in bemusement. “You don’t look like much of a fighter.”

“What about you?” Buffy asked. “Where did you learn?”

“I was in the Marines. Served in the Gulf War,” he said. “I did MMA for a few years and won some money—enough to open this.”

“MMA?” Buffy asked.

“Mixed Martial Arts,” he said. “You’ve never heard of it? It’s become very popular in America. Women even fight in it.”

“Really?” Buffy asked in surprise.

He nodded. “I don’t do much of that here because this is Neptune,” he said. “I do, though, have a few MMA students. The women, though, want to do kickboxing to stay in shape and feel powerful. It’s mostly feminist shit more than real self-defense.”

“Feminist shit?” Buffy asked in amusement.

“No offense,” he said.

“Not offended, just confused,” Buffy said, laughing.

“Okay, I have a class going on right now that you can check out and see what I mean,” he said. “Go watch. Then if you want, I’ll get someone to spar with you and see what you got. I could use another female instructor to be honest.”

“Really?” Buffy asked in surprise.

He nodded. “If you’re halfway decent and didn’t mind teaching two classes, I’d let you have free lessons in the advanced classes or use the facilities to train in,” he said.

Buffy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “That’d be amazing,” she said. “I’ve never done any teaching, though.”

“Oh, it’s not really teaching with these 09er women,” he said. Jeff snorted and nodded.

Jeff led her to the class, and they stood in the back and watched. There was about ten women, but they didn’t wear gloves as Buffy expected. However, the instructor up front led them through a series of fighting moves that Buffy could see would produce a work-out, especially if the class was a full hour. She wondered if the women ever sparred? Did they not want to learn to defend themselves for real? It didn’t look too complicated.

When they left the class after about ten minutes, Gabe introduced her to an African man that was about two inches shorter than he but still much larger than Buffy.

“Buffy, this is Scott Kettman. He is going to spar with you, so I can access your level,” Gabe said.

“Nice to meet you,” Buffy said. “I’m Buffy.”

“Great to have you, Buffy. I love meeting female fighters,” Scott said, giving her a warm smile.

Buffy was touched. The man looked to be in his early thirties and flashed him a grin. “Thanks. I’ve not met too many fighters myself as my hometown of Sunnydale didn’t really have that many. I had an ex that was, who I’d spar with, but that was it.”

“Well, we have a small group here—about six,” Gabe said. “Not a lot. We don’t actually have any serious females. Our one female instructor you just observed, Izzie, is a certified aerobics instructor, who I basically taught moves to. Her class has only women interested in exercise, not really a desire to engage in any sparring. I have had a few women asked if I was ever going to start a class for women that were more seriously interested in learning self-defense. The college campus had two rapist last year—did you hear about it?”

Buffy nodded. “Unfortunately, I did,” she said with a grimace of distaste.

“So I would love to get a class going,” he said. “I’d offer to teach it myself, and I’d been thinking of doing it. However, women’s bodies are very different from men, and I am a very large man. Learning from a woman your size would really encourage the women that they can learn to protect themselves.”

The idea really excited Buffy, and she considered how to spar with Scott without hurting him. No power hits, hold back the power kicks.

Jeff was surprised to find Logan’s new flame to be friendly and down to Earth. Unlike Veronica Mars, she didn’t seem at all calculating. However, he was blown away when she began to spar with Scott. He heard his cousin suck in a breath. “My God!” Gabe exclaimed as Buffy didn’t hesitate and pressed forward, exchange fast blows with Scott. Gabe good see Scott’s surprise on his face, but also the man’s real enjoyment as the girl was able to keep up with Scott with ease. Not wanting her to get hurt, Gabe raised his hand.

“Okay, that’s good,” he said.

Buffy stopped, frowning. “Is everything okay? We were barely fighting for two minutes,” she said.

“He seen enough,” Scott said with a grin. “Damn, girl. If someone had told me that I’d meet a cute little Barbie doll that could keep up with me in hand-to-hand today, I would’ve told them that they were nuts! You are amazing!” He high fived her.

“Yes, it’s clear that you are more than qualified to teach the girls,” Gabe said. “What forms have you trained in?”

“Well, Taekwondo is my favorite. Aikido and a bit of Jiu Jitsu, Taiichi, and Krav Maga as well as good old-fashioned street fighting,” Buffy said, listing off the various forms Giles had taught her. “Oh, and kick boxing, of course.”

The three men looked at her in dismay. “No shit?” Scott asked.

“Well, I’m not belted in them or anything,” Buffy said quickly. “I just had a teacher who knew a little bit of everything, so he was always teaching me new things. That way I can always switch up my fighting style and catch an opponent unaware.”

“That’s a good teacher,” Gabe said, impressed. “You know Taiichi?”

Buffy nodded. “My ex actually taught me that. It’s a great form of meditation and relaxation,” she said.

“That would be a great class. Some guys might be interested in that,” he said thoughtfully. “Do you happen to know your class schedule yet? If you could do a Taiichi class Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays at eight in the morning, and an all-women’s self-defense class at whatever time you can fit in your schedule, that’d be great.”

“I have an eight a.m. class on Tuesday and Thursdays if I remember correctly,” Buffy said. “I’ll double check. I think the other three days I don’t start until ten.”

“Perfect,” Gabe said. “I’ll start advertising.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Do you mind if I take your photo for the website?”

“No,” Buffy said in bemusement. It was all happening so fast. Since coming to Neptune, it was like she was living under a bright light of good things.

She couldn’t wait to share her good news with her mom.

***** _Across Town*****_

Veronica Mars was going through all the mail of hers that had piled up while she was gone. Wallace was over, filling her in on his trip to Africa. His trip sounded much better than hers.

“I should’ve went with you,” she said. “My trip just showed me how much I suck.”

“That’s not true,” Wallace said. “It showed you that you are just not suited for a career in the FBI is all. It does not mean you won’t make a good police detective or maybe prosecutor if you wanted to go into law.”

Veronica considered it. “Maybe,” she said.

“So are you going to get back with Piz when classes start back?” Wallace asked.

Veronica shook her head. “No. Didn’t he tell you before you left on your trip? We broke up,” she said.

Wallace winced. “No, I guess he figured you would’ve told me,” Wallace said. “Why didn’t you?”

“I figured he would’ve,” she said with a shrug.

“Do you mind telling me what happened? I thought you two got along pretty well,” Wallace said.

“Oh, we did,” Veronica said. “Piz was great. It was—” How did she explain this to Piz’s best friend and her own best friend when she wasn’t even sure how to say it? “He broke up with me.”

Wallace looked surprise. “He did? I can’t believe it,” he said. “He was crazy about you.”

“I think he felt very threatened by Logan,” she said. “I tried to tell him that Logan and I were over, but he said that he saw the way I looked at Logan after Logan fought with Goyra.”

“How did you look at Logan?” Wallace asked.

Veronica shrugged. “I don’t know. He thinks that I still have strong feelings for Logan,” Veronica said.

“Do you?” Wallace said.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “He matters to me. The fact that he watches out for me and that he cares means something to me. We’ve been through so much, but I don’t know that we’re good together or that we could ever be.”

Wallace nodded. “He seems happy with Buffy. More carefree than I’ve ever seen him,” Wallace said. He watched his best friend’s face and saw the frown. “Does that bother you?”

“Does it bother me that he’s dating someone? I don’t know,” Veronica admitted. “I think it bothers me a bit that it’s Buffy because she seems to have taken over my life.”

“She’s actually pretty cool,” Wallace said.

Veronica glared. “See. Even you are drinking the Buffy Kool-Aid!” she said.

Wallace laughed. “Well, if your parents are dating seriously, you and her will be spending time together. Her friends are cool. Have you met Xander yet?” Wallace asked.

Veronica shook her head. “I met Trina’s near twin Willow and her girlfriend Tara,” Veronica said. “I really liked them, especially Tara.”

“Weevil lives in the building with Xander and works with him on campus,” Wallace said. “Xander is very much like me except not a jock.”

“Then I’m sure I’ll adore him,” Veronica said, flashing him a smile.

“He’s laid back and funny—but he doesn’t have my fashion sense,” Wallace said.

“Well, not many men do,” Veronica mocked.

“So true,” Wallace said. “If Buffy’s got cool friends, then she has to be pretty cool. That’s what you need to consider, and stop being jealous. No matter how great she may be, she’s not Veronica Mars. The girl who solved a murder and stopped two murderers before graduating high school. The girl who will do anything for her friends and even enemies.”

Veronica smiled, remembering why she wasn’t ready to go to Stanford. She didn’t want to say goodbye to her friends. “Thanks, Wallace. I really missed you,” she said.

Her doorbell rang, surprising her. “Mac didn’t say she was coming over,” Veronica said as she got up to open it. It was Buffy. “Well, hello.”

“Hi. Sorry for just dropping by like this,” Buffy said, giving her a smile. She waved at Wallace.

“It’s fine,” Veronica said. “I’m surprised you knew where I live, though, but come on in.”

Buffy turned around and waved Logan off. Logan waved back and backed out. “Oh, Logan dropped me off,” she said.

“He did?” Veronica asked, looking at and catching Logan backing out.

“Yea, I don’t live too far, and he knows I like to walk places,” she said.

“So what brings you by?” Veronica asked.

“I wanted to see if you were interested in taking back your job at the Hutt?” Buffy asked. “Like immediately.”

“Well, sure,” Veronica said. “I told Dad I would work with him, but he doesn’t care. I hope you aren’t quitting because of me, though. My dad will be really mad.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” Buffy said. “Actually, Logan introduced me to this guy named Jeff at his hotel, and Jeff got me on there working brunch. Just 2 shifts on Saturday and Sundays and more money than the Hutt.”

“That’s great,” Veronica said. “I know Jeff. We had a criminology class together.”

“He is great,” Buffy said excitedly. “He introduced me to his cousin, who owns a kickboxing studio in town. I’m going to teach Taiichi three days a week before classes and then a women’s self-defense class. This will let me have my own training for free.”

“That’s amazing,” Wallace said. “What’s Taiichi?

“You will have to take a class with me and find out!” Buffy said with a grin. “It’s actually very beautiful. It’s a form of Chinese martial arts that’s more for meditation than for fighting. Like Chinese yoga.”

“Cool,” Wallace said. “I will totally check it out.”

“It won’t start for about two weeks as Gabe—the owner—wants to do some advertisement,” Buffy said. “Same for my self-defense class. Gabe says because of the rapes that happened last year, he’s had a lot of request.”

“I bet,” Veronica said.

“Well, I’m excited,” Buffy said. “Things have just fallen into place since we moved here, and I love it. Sunnydale was such a dark and dangerous place. I was constantly having to fight or stop someone from hurting someone else. Here everything is so bright and cheerful.” She flashed a smile. “I will tell the manager, you will take over the next Friday shift.”

“Works for me,” Veronica said.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Buffy said. She gave a cheerful wave and left the apartment.

“That is so weird,” Veronica said after the door closed.

“Seriously,” Wallace agreed. “How did we not know we have a kickboxing studio in town?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Veronica said. “And I totally knew that. I meant what she said about this town and about her old town. Neptune is the dangerous town. This place isn’t cheerful. Is she insane?”

Wallace grinned. “Maybe it’s just you that isn’t cheerful,” he pointed out. “Buffy is pretty damn cheerful. You should totally sign up for her self-defense class, especially if you are going to keep finding yourself in dangerous situations.”

“Like I want to blow money on that kind of thing. Those classes are expensive. Buffy’s only affording it because she’s teaching classes there,” Veronica pointed out, picking back up her mail. She opened up a letter from the school and began to read to it. “Holy crap!”

“What?” Wallace asked.

“I just got my scholarship upgraded from partial to full, including the dorm this year,” she said.

“That’s great!” Wallace said. “Congratulations! Now you have extra cash to take a self-defense class.”

“Maybe,” Veronica said. It would be nice to feel more confident when she was in dangerous places. Would spending more time with her new nemesis be a good thing?

“It was nice of Buffy to give you back your job early,” Wallace pointed out.

Veronica sighed. Fine. Maybe Buffy wasn’t really her nemesis. Maybe Veronica just needed to give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes.

“Yes, it was,” she agreed.

Wallace gave her an approving smile. “Do you think we can talk Mac into taking one of Buffy’s classes?”

They both laughed at the thought.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_Review please! Thanks!_


	15. School Starts

_******A Few Weeks Later******_

It was Friday, and Buffy and her friends had settled into school. Two weeks of college classes at Hearts, and they were flying high. Xander liked his job even as he missed Anya. Joyce had taken Buffy to take her driving test right before classes started, and she was happy to report that she had a license. Weevil surprised her with a small motorcycle he and Xander were going to fix up for her to drive. Since the weather was so nice in California, Buffy was eager to have it. She found motorcycles a lot easier to control than a car. Her mother wasn't terribly happy about the motorcycle, but she knew that Buffy would mainly just being driving from school to work around town. Buffy had to promise to borrow a car if she made a trip to Sunnydale.

Since finding out the girls had magic powers, Dick had been itching to watch some magic, so the girls were focusing on turning Amy back to normal. The weekend before classes started, they managed to do it. Dick had been blown about by the sight of a rat turning into a hot naked girl. Amy was a bit traumatized by her experience, but after a few days in Neptune, Willow and Tara drove her home to Sunnydale.

Veronica was content to stay in Neptune instead of transferring like she'd been considering. She wasn't quite ready to just allow Buffy to take her place in everyone's life. After she met Xander, she had to agree with Wallace, the guy was great, and Veronica instantly liked him. It made her a bit annoyed, though, because she knew that her friends were right. If all of Buffy's friends were great and Weevil and Logan both liked her, she couldn't be that bad.

So to show her willingness to befriend Buffy, Veronica was about to voluntarily participate in physical exercise. Something she'd not done since Lilly had talked her into joining the pep squad freshmen year.

"Why am I here again?" Mac asked, glaring at her two best friends. Parker had returned and was rooming again with her. Veronica sprung for a single room as she signed up to be a residential assistance on their floor—much to Mac's amusement. Veronica believed the single corner room would more than make up for the annoyance of leading weekly meetings. Her first act as R.A. had been to change the meetings to bi-weekly by October and then monthly by the spring semester.

"You are here to support Veronica and me, and you need to learn how to defend yourself," Parker said cheerfully. She hadn't yet met Buffy and all her friends as she had not got back to town until the weekend before classes had started. Somehow, her schedule didn't have her crossing paths yet with the much talked about girl. However, she did have class with Tara.

"That's what my can of pepper spray is for," Mac said.

"Hey, Buffy's your friend, and she could use a friendly face, right?" Veronica said, flashing her a smug smile. "We're here to support your friend and my dad's girlfriend's daughter."

Mac rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "Buffy doesn't need our support. She is the most confident girl I've ever met, and since I'm best friends with you and Parker, that says a lot."

When they made it to the studio and paid for the four lessons (all Mac would agree to), the place was starting to become congested.

Buffy spotted them and moved to greet them. "I can't believe you really signed up," Buffy said, grinning at Mac. She knew how little the girl liked exercise.

"Well, we wanted to support you. I told Veronica that you didn't need our support, but she insisted," Mac said, smiling.

"Really?" Buffy asked, surprised as she looked at Veronica.

"I'm trying to be nice," Veronica said.

"I appreciate it," Buffy said, giving her a friendly smile. "I'll go easy on you."

"Where's Willow? I figured she'd be here," Mac asked.

"She said she had enough self-defense lessons in Sunnydale," Buffy said. "Tara said she'd come next month after she gets settled into a routine."

"Buffy, this is my roommate Parker Lee," Mac introduced. "This is Buffy, our new friend."

"It's great to meet you," Parker said, smiling. "I feel like I know you already. There's so much talk about you."

"I hope that's a good thing," Buffy said.

"Mostly," Veronica added with a smirk.

Buffy laughed. "I want you guys will come over to my house tomorrow. Do you think you can? Sorry, it's a bit last minute. Mom says we should celebrate how well things are going for all of us. We're having a cook-out in the backyard," she said.

"Is that why Dad was asking me about barbeque sauces yesterday?" Veronica asked.

"Well, you know he is operating the grill," Buffy said with a grin. She looked at Parker. "You are invited, too."

"I will be happy to come," Parker said, pleased.

"As long as you throw in a few veggie burgers, I'm there," Mac said.

"For sure," she said.

"There's a lot of girls here," Parker said looking at the room.

"Yes, Gabe is very happy as we are maxed out at twenty per class," Buffy said. "We're doing the four lessons for a hundred dollars special to get people interested. My Tai Chi class will start on Monday, and he says it's already full. Several of his male fighters signed up for that. I'm teaching it Mondays and Saturdays."

"Tai Chi?" Parker asked, her eyes lighting up. "I would totally love that!"

"After your self-defense block is done, you should check it out," Buffy said. She looked at the time. "It's time to start."

Veronica insisted they get a spot in the back. When Buffy's best guy friend came into the class, she was surprised. "What's Xander doing here? Isn't it all girls?" she asked.

"I don't think I've met him," Parker said.

"He's Buffy and Willow's best friend," Mac explained. "He works with Weevil on campus. He and Willow have been best buds since kindergarten. He's really funny and pretty amazing. Buffy says he saved her life once."

"Really?" Parker asked, looking at the new guy with interest. She was over Logan entirely and spent the summer not thinking about romance at all. When she saw Mac wave and smile at him, she wondered, though, if Mac had a claim on the guy.

"Everyone, I have asked one of my best friends to help with this first class," Buffy said. "We need a male attacker, and Xander's used to getting slapped around and was game."

The girls laughed and all eyed Xander with various degrees of speculation. Buffy was glad he wasn't wearing one of his tacky Hawaiian shirts but had opt for a simple t-shirt and jeans combo.

"Hello, ladies," Xander said with a grin and wave. "I think this might be the best day of my life—all these beautiful eyes all focused on me."

"Enjoy it while you can 'cause soon they'll be feeling sorry for you," Buffy said.

Veronica had to laugh, too, as Buffy proved her words by throwing Xander over her shoulder, elbowing him, and sweeping his legs. Xander took it in stride, bouncing up each time.

Then she took them to a slow demonstration of breaking out of a choke hold and had them partner up. Xander's part was over, so he moved to side to watch. Mac partnered with Veronica, and Parker with the girl on her right. Buffy went around helping the different pairs break out of a chokehold.

After twenty minutes of practicing, she showed them how to properly throw a punch. Then she passed out some small pads for them to hold while their partner punched into it.

"I kind of feel powerful right now," Mac said, punching the bag.

Veronica didn't want to admit that she, too, was enjoying the class. "I sometimes have good ideas," Veronica said, smirking.

When it was over, Parker asked, "How about you introduce me to Xander?"

"Sure," Mac said.

"Unless, you'd rather keep him all to yourself," Parker asked her with a grin.

"Xander? Are you wanting to know if I like Xander?" Mac asked.

"Do you?" Parker asked.

"Of course, he's great," Mac said. "But he's just broken up with his girlfriend and not really looking to date. Besides, he thinks I'm exactly like Willow but with dimples."

"He said that?" Parker asked.

"Basically," Mac said with a shrug. "I don't babble like she does, though."

"Xander," Veronica called, motioning him over. He'd stayed to watch the entire class. "You haven't met Parker yet. She's Mac's roommate."

"Hello," Xander said, flashing her a smile.

"Hi," Parker said. "How are you liking Neptune?"

"I love it," Xander said.

"Good," Parker said. She stared awkwardly at him, not sure what to say.

Mac felt sorry for her roommate and sought to fill the silence. "Parker is from Colorado."

"Really? I've never been. I hear it's beautiful," Xander said. "Do you ski?"

"Sometimes," Parker said.

"Cool," Xander said.

"What do you think?" Buffy asked as she came up to them. "Good class?"

"It actually was," Mac said. "I feel invincible right now."

"I think I'm going to go pick a fight with a frat boy," Veronica said. "Where's Dick at these days?"

Xander laughed. "Probably with Willow or Tara," Xander said. "Ever since he saw Willow do a small bit of magic, he's been glued to their sides."

"Magic? She's a magician?" Parker asked.

"No, she's a witch," Xander said. "And I realize now that I shouldn't be talking crazy. I'll catch you ladies later. Bye, Buffy." He flashed Buffy a panic smile and practically ran out the door until Buffy called him back.

"Hey, can you help me gather up the equipment?" she asked him.

"Of course," he said, moving to pick up pads.

"Okay," Parker said slowly.

"Xander is just messing with you," Buffy said, lifting her hand dismissively. "They are Wiccan, which is often mixed with people who practice witchcraft. Willow likes to tease Dick a lot because he's very gullible."

"That's true," Veronica said.

"So I hope you all come to our house at four," Buffy said. "Mom wants it to start a bit early, so everyone can socialize. Mac, she already called and invited your parents."

"Really?" Mac asked, surprised. "I bet Mom was thrilled."

"She was," Buffy said.

They waved goodbye to Buffy and Xander. When Veronica saw her car, she groaned. "I have a stinkin' flat!"

"Shall I call Weevil?" Mac asked.

"Xander's just inside," Parker said.

"I know how to change a tire," Veronica said.

"Well, sure, so do I," Mac said. "But I don't want to get my hands that dirty. Do you?"

"I'll go get Xander," Parker said, glad to have an excuse to talk to the cute guy again.

Veronica didn't wait and went and got out her spare and the jack. However, when she tried to remove the lug nuts, she had to concede defeat. "Stupid mean and their power tools," she grumbled. "I told my tire guy to stop putting these on so tight!"

"I can do it," Xander said as he arrived with Parker. "Looks like you did a great job positioning the jack. I tried to teach Willow and Buffy how to do this once, and they just looked at me like I suggested they sacrifice their first born."

Parker giggled. "My dad made me learn before I moved her last fall," she admitted.

"My dad made me do it when I was twelve," Mac said.

"I got a lot of sliced tires at my high school," Veronica said. "Mostly from Dick."

Xander frowned, not liking to hear anyone being bullied. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said.

"So Buffy doesn't know how to change a tire?" Veronica asked, secretly pleased there was something Buffy couldn't do.

"She just got her license two weeks ago," Xander pointed out. "She and Willow believe strongly in a division of labor. Buffy beats the bad guys. I am in charge of spider and frog removal and fixing things, plus changing tires and fixing cars."

The girls laughed, and Mac asked, "What's Willow's job?"

"She is book girl and the solver of the mysteries," Xander said. He was working while he talked. "She is also hacker girl and can tell us how to beat the bad guy." He flashed them a smile as he swapped out the tires and began putting on the lug nuts.

"I'm not sure my feminist study teacher would approve," Mac said. "But I kind of like that."

"Why does they need help removing frogs?" Parker wondered.

"Well, Willow and I have been friends since we were five, but we only meet Buffy when we were sophomores in high school," Xander explained. "Willow has extreme frog fear, and I've just always kept them away from her." He shrugged as all three girls gave him various looks of approval and admiration.

He, of course, was oblivious as he lowered the car with the jack and walked the bad tire to her car. "There you go, Veronica," he said.

"Thanks, Xander," Veronica said. "We'll see you tomorrow at Buffy's."

"See you," Xander said.

The girls watched him walk away. "He is definitely Wallace-like," Veronica remarked.

"He's a great guy," Mac said.

"Totally," Parker agreed with a sigh. Now that's the kind of guy she needed to be dating. How long would it take him to get over his ex?

****** _Sunnydale******_

They assembled into the empty warehouse with their leader holding the dagonsphere.

"There are two slayers," the leader said.

"Which shall be chosen to guard the Key?" another asked.

"Whoever is stronger," the third said.

"Surely, the guardian of the hellmouth is the strongest."

"The spell will send the Key to the one who is meant to guard it," their leader said.

They began their spell.

****** _The Next Day*****_

Buffy was feeling very good about herself. She had just finished her shift at the hotel and made two hundred bucks. It was still hard for to believe how much better the tips were than the Hut—easiest money ever. One perk of slayer energy was a busy four-hour shift didn't faze her. Of course, she got to start her day with Tai Chi at Gabe's place, and it put her in a very good mood. To her amusement, Logan and Dick both had signed up for her Tai Chi class after their sunrise surfing, which apparently, they did many Saturdays.

Logan had been blown away by Buffy's class, and he flirted with her shamelessly after class.

"I thought we decided that we were meant to just be friends due to you being in love with Veronica," Buffy said.

"Veronica's not in love with me," he said.

"She is single," Buffy said. "I heard through the grapevine that she and Piz are not dating."

"I don't care," Logan said with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

"Then I guess it won't matter to you one way or another to know that she will be at my house this afternoon for the barbeque," Buffy said with a smirk. "You are still coming, right?"

"Of course," Logan said. "I promised Dick I'd go with him."

"Dick's your date, huh?" Buffy said, giggling. "I'm very jealous."

"I supposed Weevil will be there," Logan said in resignation.

"He is invited, and you know he and Xander are best buds," Buffy said.

"And you're still dating him," Logan pointed out.

"Sometimes, we go out," Buffy said with a shrug. "You know that I'm not looking to be pinned down right now. I'm enjoying having such a stress-free life."

He finally stopped pouting about Weevil and hugged her when they parted at her car. She was relieved that he wasn't going to stop being her fried because Buffy really liked Logan as a person.

Buffy smiled, thinking of the friends she'd made since coming to Neptune—Logan was just one of many it seemed.

"Buffy, are you ready to make the fruit salad?" Joyce asked her.

"I wanted to jump in the shower first," Buffy said. She went to the bathroom, but the door was locked. She banged on it. "Hurry up, Dawn! I need a shower."

"Too bad, so sad," Dawn sang back.

"Mom!" Buffy complained.

****** _To Be Continued*****_

_I want to point out that I do know that the Order of Dagon was based in Czech Republic and that Glory destroyed the order. However, we don't know exactly how they created Dawn. Giles says it took the entire Order to make the spell, but we only saw three on BTVS. I'm thinking they channeled the power of their order before coming to the U.S.! Reviews and comments are always appreciated!_

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a completed story yet. I have been posting it at TTH, but I'm not anymore. I have about 14 chapters or so written, so updates will be fast until I catch up to what I have posted.


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